Do I need to register a lodger with the RTB?
Usually not: a lodger in the home you live in is a licensee. When a room is a tenancy that must be registered, the self-contained-flat and garden-unit rules, and what it costs.
- Licensee or tenant?
- Rent-a-Room Relief
- Post your room free
- RTB – who should register
- RTB – garden housing units
- RTB – when to register
- RTB – registration fees
- Residential Tenancies Act 2004, section 3 (revised)
A lodger in your own home: no
The Residential Tenancies Acts don't cover a home the landlord also lives in. A lodger or digs student in the home you live in is a licensee, so you don't register them with the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB), and RTB disputes don't apply. Disagreements can go to the Small Claims procedure.
A licence is still an agreement: agree the rent, what's included, the deposit and the notice in writing.
When it is a tenancy
A self-contained flat in your home (its own kitchen and bathroom, separate from your part) is a tenancy and must be registered.
In a house share where the landlord doesn't live, each person renting from the landlord is normally a tenant, and the landlord registers each tenancy. Someone renting a room from one of the tenants (not the landlord) is usually a licensee of that tenant.
The RTB looks at what the arrangement really is, not what it's called.
Garden units (from July 2026)
From 31 July 2026, rear-garden units built behind the owner's main home under the new planning exemption are outside the Residential Tenancies Acts. The RTB has details of which units this covers.
Registering a tenancy
A tenancy must be registered within one month of it starting, and again every year on the anniversary. The standard fee is €40 a year, with a late fee of €10 for each month late.
Common questions
Do I need to register a lodger with the RTB?
No, if they rent a room in the home you live in: they're a licensee, outside the Residential Tenancies Acts.
Is digs covered by the RTB?
No. Digs in the owner's home is a licence, like any lodger.
How much does RTB registration cost?
For a tenancy, €40 a year, registered within a month of the start and every year after.