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When everyone has a home

Housing advice for Northern Ireland

Your responsibilities as a landlord

Advice for landlords in Northern Ireland

This page is for landlords operating in Northern Ireland.  You can find advice for tenants elsewhere on our website. Private landlords in Northern Ireland can call Landlord Advice on 028 9024 5640 and choose option 1. 

Renting out property is a business and you have certain responsibilities to your customers, the tenants.

Legal documentation

You must supply all tenants with certain information relating to their tenancy. Failure to supply these documents, in the correct format, within a specified period of time can result in a conviction and fine.

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Peaceful enjoyment

Your tenants have a right to peaceful enjoyment of the property they rent and you have a responsibility to ensure that right is observed. This means you cannot enter the property without their permission and you cannot allow others to access the property.

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Keep tenants informed

Your property is your tenants' home and you have a responsibility to keep them informed of any developments that may affect their ability to stay in that home. This includes informing your tenants if the property is subject to mortgage possession proceedings.

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Pay your mortgage and rates

You need permission to rent out your property if there is a mortgage or loan secured on it. You need

  • a buy-to-let mortgage, or
  • written permission to rent out the property from the lender.
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Be accessible

Your tenants have a legal right to know your name, address and telephone number. If you have paid for the services of an agent, but your tenants have decided to contact you directly, you should talk to your tenants to find out why. The agent may not be providing the services you are paying them for or may not be carrying out their legal obligations.

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Notice to quit and ending a tenancy

You must follow due process of law when evicting a tenant. If you aren't careful in following the correct legal procedure you could be found guilty of carrying out an illegal eviction.

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Taking deposits

You have to protect deposits in an approved scheme. You can be fined if you don't do this. You don't have to protect a deposit if the tenant paid it before 1 April 2013. 

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How to register as a landlord in Northern Ireland

All landlords of private tenancies in Northern Ireland need to register. You can do this online, by telephone or in writing. You will have to pay a fee to register and you'll need to renew your registration every 3 years.

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Data protection

Landlords and letting agents are required to register with the Information Commissioner's Office and to pay a registration fee. Most landlords and agents will register as a micro or small organisation. 

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