Demand Letter Pack

Ireland · Rental deposit

Deposit not returned in Ireland: ask for it back in writing

In Ireland, a landlord must return the deposit promptly when the tenancy ends. They may keep back only unpaid rent or other charges, or the cost of damage beyond normal wear and tear. If the money has not come back, a formal letter sets out these rules and gives a final date to pay. You get the letter in English.

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The questions, and the documents that come with the letters (checklist, timeline, next steps and memo), are in English. The letters can be written in English.

The rules your letter follows

Taken from the official sources listed below. Interest rates change from time to time; these are the current ones.

When the landlord must return it
Promptly
After the tenancy ends. No law sets a number of days; the Residential Tenancies Board says as soon as possible, not necessarily on the day you move out.
What the landlord may keep
Arrears and damage only
Unpaid rent or other charges or taxes you owed under the tenancy, and the cost of making good damage beyond normal wear and tear.
Final date in the letter
14 days
You can choose up to 30 days.
Time limit to refer the dispute
None set by law
For a deposit dispute at the Residential Tenancies Board. Where the Board cannot deal with it, the court time limits apply.
Where the dispute goes
Residential Tenancies Board
Not the courts. It covers most rented homes, whatever the amount of the deposit, and you do not need a solicitor. Not for a room in your landlord's own home or a holiday let.
Board fees
Mediation is free
Adjudication has an application fee.
How to send it
Registered post
Send it by email too. Registered post gives you proof of delivery.

What Irish law says about the deposit

The landlord must return the deposit promptly after the tenancy ends. No law sets a number of days. The Residential Tenancies Board says the deposit should come back as soon as possible, though not necessarily on the day you move out.

The landlord may keep back only unpaid rent or other charges or taxes you owed under the tenancy, and the cost of making good damage beyond normal wear and tear. If those add up to the full deposit or more, nothing is due. Otherwise the landlord may keep only that amount, and the rest comes back to you.

What the letter does

It sets out the tenancy, with the address and the start and end dates, the deposit and the date you handed back the property. It disputes each deduction you do not accept, on the facts, and asks for repayment by a clear date. It mentions the Residential Tenancies Board only if you choose that as your next step.

The letter is written for a tenancy the Residential Tenancies Board deals with, which covers most rented homes.

If the landlord still does not pay

Deposit disputes go to the Residential Tenancies Board, not to the courts. You can refer the dispute yourself, without a solicitor. The Board offers mediation, which is free, and adjudication, which has an application fee. Its determination orders are enforceable. Either side can appeal an adjudicator's decision to a Tenancy Tribunal, stating the grounds, within a short and strict time limit.

The Board does not deal with every letting. It does not cover a home the landlord also lives in, a holiday let, a home let by a public authority, or a qualifying unit in the garden of the landlord's own home. If you lived in the same home as your landlord, or it was a holiday let, the letter does not fit. The claim can go to the Small Claims procedure of the District Court instead, within that procedure's limit, and above it to the District Court. The escalation memo in the Complete pack explains these routes.

Where the rules come from

What is in the envelope

Word and PDF files you can edit before you send anything.

  1. 01

    Demand letter

    The formal letter, in the language you choose, with your amount and payment details. The deadline, and any interest and costs, follow the local rules.

  2. 02

    Evidence checklist

    What to keep and what to enclose, checked against the files you uploaded.

  3. 03

    Timeline

    Your dispute date by date, including the dates still to come.

  4. 04

    Next steps

    How to send the letter so you can prove it arrived, and what to do with each kind of reply.

  5. 05

    Final noticeComplete

    A shorter second letter with a last deadline, for when the first one passes.

  6. 06

    Escalation memoComplete

    Court, collection agencies and lawyers: what each route involves. It describes the options; it does not choose one for you.

How it works

  1. Today

    You answer the questions. It takes about ten minutes, and your answers are saved as you go.

  2. Today

    You check the summary and pay. A few minutes later your documents are ready, in Word and PDF.

  3. When you are ready

    You sign the letter and send it yourself, so it comes from you.

Questions

Do I have to write to my landlord before going to the Residential Tenancies Board?

No. Either side may refer a deposit dispute to the Board directly. The Board encourages landlords and tenants to try to sort it out themselves first, and a letter is one way to do that.

My landlord says they need more time to inspect the property.

The landlord must return the deposit promptly. The Board says this need not be on the day you move out, but it should be as soon as possible. Deductions are limited to unpaid rent or other charges and damage beyond normal wear and tear.

Can my landlord keep money for cleaning?

The law allows deductions only for unpaid rent or other charges or taxes, and for damage beyond normal wear and tear. The letter does not claim that cleaning can never fall under those. It lists the deductions you dispute and why, so the landlord can answer each one.

How long can I wait?

The law sets no time limit for referring a deposit dispute to the Residential Tenancies Board. Where the Board cannot deal with the dispute, the court time limits apply.

P.S.

Your documents are written by an AI system and checked automatically against your answers and the local rules. No lawyer reviews them. They are document drafts and general information, not legal advice. Your answers are deleted 30 days after delivery, or sooner if you ask.

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