Question: I live in rented accommodation and have always paid my rent directly to the landlord in cash or by cheque. However recently my landlord is claiming there are arrears of rent and I think I have paid everything that is due. How can I sort this out?
Answer: Firstly as a tenant you are entitled by law to be furnished with a rent book by your landlord. A rent book is a document which contains the details of your tenancy agreement and should also record all payments of rent that have been made to the landlord.
When you make a payment to your landlord it should be recorded in the rent book and the landlord should either sign the book or give you a signed receipt as evidence of the payment. I would always prefer that payments for rent are made by cheque or by standing order so that there is a back up record of the payments. However these payments should still be recorded in a rent book or you should still be furnished with a receipt.
It is your landlord’s responsibility to give you a rent book. If your landlord refuses to supply a rent book you should contact the Private Residential Tenancies Board. They now deal with any disputes between a landlord and a tenant. Further information is available on their website www.prtb.ie.
The information contained in this article is for general information purposes only and does not constitute legal or other professional advice. Specific legal advice should be sought on any particular matter.
