Your rental deposit belongs to you unless your landlord can prove a legitimate reason to retain it. In Ireland, landlords routinely make up or exaggerate damage claims to keep deposits they are not entitled to. The RTB dispute process is specifically designed to recover deposits for tenants — and it works.
Under the Residential Tenancies Acts, a landlord may only retain a deposit — in whole or in part — where there is unpaid rent, damage beyond fair wear and tear, or a breach of your tenancy obligations. The landlord must be able to prove the deduction is justified.
Fair wear and tear is normal deterioration from ordinary use over the duration of the tenancy — a worn carpet after three years, faded paint, small scuffs. This is not damage. A landlord cannot charge you for the natural ageing of a property.
If your landlord refuses to return your deposit or makes deductions you believe are unjustified, you can bring a dispute to the Residential Tenancies Board. The RTB adjudicator will require the landlord to provide evidence for every deduction claimed. Vague claims without receipts, quotes, or photographs taken at the time of your departure do not succeed.
Take a full video walkthrough and dated photographs of every room, appliance, and fitting on your last day. Send them to your landlord by email so there is a timestamp. This evidence is often decisive in deposit disputes. If a move-in inventory exists, compare the property's condition against it on departure.
Ahmed had rented a two-bedroom apartment in Cork for two and a half years. He kept it in good condition throughout, reported issues promptly, and left it clean and undamaged. The day after he handed back the keys, his landlord sent a message saying significant damage had been found and that the full deposit — €1,400 — was being retained.
The claimed damage included flooring throughout the hallway, a cracked bathroom tile, and a stained kitchen worktop. Ahmed had photographs taken on his final day showing none of these issues. There had been no formal check-out inspection.
He filed a dispute with the RTB. At the adjudication, the landlord produced no photographs, no receipts, and no quotes for the alleged repairs — only a list. Ahmed produced his timestamped photographs and the original check-in inventory, which noted pre-existing marks on the worktop from before he moved in.
The adjudicator found in Ahmed's favour on all three claims. The landlord was ordered to return the full deposit within 14 days.
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