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  • Breadcrumb

    1. Home
    2. Property and housing
    3. Buying, selling and renting a home
    4. Private renting

    Renting a home privately

    Before you rent housing from a private landlord, you should know your rights and responsibilities as a tenant. It's also important to know what the landlord is responsible for. They must register as a landlord and protect your deposit in a tenancy deposit scheme.

    Landlord's responsibilities

    The landlord is responsible for:

    • repairs to the structure and exterior of the property, heating and hot water systems, basins, sinks, baths and other sanitary ware
    • safety of gas and electrical appliances
    • fire safety of furniture and furnishings provided under the tenancy
    • ensuring that the property is fit for habitation
    • repairing and keeping in working order the room and water heating equipment
    • the common areas in multi-occupancy dwellings

    Landlord Registration Scheme

    All private landlords must register before letting a new tenancy. To check if your landlord or their property is registered, go to:

    • Search for a landlord
    • Search for a property

    Protecting a tenant's deposit

    The landlord must protect your deposit in a tenancy deposit scheme and give you information about the scheme.

    • Tenancy Deposit Scheme - information for tenants

    Living in a house in multiple occupation

    If you rent your home from a private landlord and it's a house in multiple occupation (HMO), the landlord must license the property as a HMO with the local council.

    You can ask the council if your home is licensed as a HMO:

    • Local councils in Northern Ireland

    Tenant's responsibilities

    The tenant is responsible for:

    • paying the rent and taking  care of the property
    • bills such as gas, electricity and telephone if this was agreed with your landlord

    Renting a room in the owner's home

    If you rent a room in a property and the landlord also lives there, you're a licensee, not a tenant. You don't have the same rights as a tenant. The landlord can ask you to leave  but doesn't need to give you written notice to quit.

    Deciding to rent privately

    Before you start looking for accommodation, you should know what kind of accommodation you need, including the size, type and location.

    You need to decide how much you can afford as rent. When deciding the area, think about how close this is to:

    • where you work
    • bus and train stops
    • schools and shops
    • your friends and family
    • medical care
    • where you socialise

    As some owners don't advertise property to rent, tell friends or colleagues you want to rent accommodation.

    Finding a home to rent

    You can find private rented accommodation:

    • in local newspapers under 'property to let' columns
    • on property websites
    • on classified advertising websites
    • in shop window or notice board advertisements
    • through estate agents or letting agents
    • if properties have 'to let' signs outside

    Letting agent's fees

    If you use a letting agent to find a rental property for you, they might charge you certain fees. Where the fees are for work the letting agent did for your landlord, you might get these fees refunded to you by the letting agent.

    Fees paid to a letting agent 

    If you paid fees to a letting agent in the last six years and kept evidence of:

    • how much you paid
    • what you paid for

    You can ask the letting agent to refund what you paid.

    For more information about getting fees back from letting agents, go to:

    • Letting agents ordered by court to repay fees charged to tenants

    Finding student accommodation

    To read more about student accommodation, go to:

    • Student housing: finding somewhere to live

    More useful links

    • Landlords' Association for Northern Ireland
    • Rental properties for businesses
    • Capital Gains Tax relief on your own home

    More useful links

    • Student housing
    • Home and housing options
    • Safety at Home
    • Fire Prevention
    • Tax on property and rental income - HMRC website
    • Planning for buying a home - Money Advice Service website
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    Private renting

    • Different types of rented accommodation
    • Getting help with problems in private rented housing
    • Health and safety in rented accommodation
    • Housing standards in rented accommodation
    • Landlord Registration Scheme
    • Landlords with tenants claiming Universal Credit
    • Living in shared accommodation
    • Private rent and tenancies
    • Problems with your landlord - how the council can help
    • Rent control
    • Renting a home privately
    • Repairing your home: private tenants
    • Set up direct payment for tenant's housing costs to landlords
    • Tenancy Deposit Scheme

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