Sharing rented accommodation

There is a shortage of rented housing in Ireland at the moment. So, it can be difficult and expensive to find somewhere to rent, particularly if you want to live on your own.

This means, you may end up sharing a rented home with other people. This can make things cheaper, as the rent and bills are split between everyone living in the home.

Shared accommodation is often used by people who need cheaper accommodation while they settle in a new city, job or university. For example:

• Students
• Young workers
• People who have recently come to Ireland
• Refugees

With the shortage of accommodation in Ireland and rising rents, more people are sharing their rented accommodation with others.

Most rooms, apartments and houses to rent are advertised on accommodation websites, like Daft.ie.

You can search for a particular type of accommodation in a specific area. For example, you can filter for a double room in shared home in Dublin.

You can also set up alerts for your specific requirements, so you get notifications when the accommodation you want becomes available.

You may also find rented accommodation to rent:

• In the accommodation sections of newspapers
• In advertisements in shops
• On college notice boards
• At your student union, many of them keep accommodation lists
• Through word of mouth
• By seeing 'To Let' or 'To Rent' signs on properties
• On social media pages dedicated to finding and renting accommodation and local community pages and groups
• By using an accommodation or letting agency

Find more information about this in our page Looking for a flat or house to share.

Before viewing shared accommodation

Before you go to see a shared rented property, think about what you want from it and who you’d like to live with. This makes it easier to decide if a place is right for you.

For example, you should ask yourself:

• How much can I afford in rent and bills?
• How long do I need the accommodation for?
• Is it near my work or college?
• Are there good transport links?
• Do I want to share a bedroom or bathroom?
• Do I want to live with someone who works from home?
• Is there parking available for my car?

What to ask when you go to look at rented accommodation

When you view a shared rented home, try and find out as much as possible about the property and people, so you can see if it’s the right place for you.

For example, you might ask the landlord or other tenants these questions:

About the landlord and other tenants:

• Did you all know each other before you moved in?
• How are tenants replaced when someone moves out?
• Does everyone have a say on new housemates?
• Who is the landlord, and how can I contact them?
• How are issues with the property resolved?
• Who is on the lease, and will I be added to it? 

About the bills, cleaning and kitchen

• How do you split the bills?
• Who pays for shared items, like cleaning products?
• How are chores like cleaning divided?
• Is there a schedule for housework?
• How are the fridge and cupboards arranged?

About the house rules

• Are there any rules about bringing friends over?
• Are pets allowed?
• Can I work from home?

What to consider before agreeing to move in

Before agreeing to move in to shared accommodation, make sure that you’re happy with:

• The property and your room
• The terms and conditions of your tenancy agreement or licence agreement
• The other people you’ll be living with
• How the bills are split
• How the housework is divided

If you are happy with all of this and decide to move in, you may need to:

• Give a reference from a landlord you’ve rented from before
• Pay a deposit
• Sign an agreement with your landlord

Make sure to read your agreement or lease before you sign it, as what you sign is legally binding. This means you have to follow it.

The Residential Tenancies Board has a useful checklist for tenants who are starting a tenancy.

How to avoid rental scams

When you are looking for a place to rent, you should be aware of rental scams and how to avoid them.

Before you make any payment or agreement with your landlord or another tenant, you should always view the property in person and make sure you are happy with the tenancy terms and conditions.

Find out more about rental scams and how to spot them.

Your rights in a shared home are different depending on whether you are a tenant or a licencee. These difference are explained below.

Am I a tenant?

You are usually a tenant if you are:

• Renting a property, or room in a property from a landlord that you don’t live with
• Renting a self-contained flat or apartment in your landlord’s home

You will also have a tenancy agreement with your landlord. This is a contract between you that lists the terms and conditions for renting the property.

What protections do I have as a tenant?

Being a tenant is the most stable arrangement when renting. This is because you are protected by residential tenancy law and your tenancy agreement with your landlord.

This means you have certain protections and rights as a tenant. For example, your landlord must:

• Make sure your rented property meets the minimum standards
• Give you a set amount of notice, if they want to review your rent
• Give you a valid written notice of termination and the correct amount of notice if they want you to leave

You can also bring any disputes with your landlord to the Residential Tenancies Board. Find out more about your rights and responsibilities as a tenant.

Am I a licencee?

You are usually a licencee if you:

• Rent a room in your landlord's home
• Rent a room from another tenant

What protections do I have as a licensee?

As a licensee, you are in the rented property with your landlord’s consent. This means you have less legal protections than a tenant. Your tenancy is not covered by residential tenancies legislation, and the protections tenants get, do not apply to you.

This means that your landlord does not have to follow the usual rules for landlord’s, such as:

• Registering with the RTB
• Making sure your room meets minimum standards
• Giving you a set amount of notice if they want you to leave
• Giving you a valid notice of termination

If you are a licensee, renting a room from another tenant, you can ask your landlord to recognise you as a tenant when you’ve been there for 6 months.

Licence agreements

You should draw up a licence agreement with your landlord that covers the key issues of your arrangement. This can include:

• How long the arrangement will last
• How much notice you need to give if either of you wants to end the arrangement
• How much the rent is and how often it is paid, like weekly or monthly
• How the rent is paid such as in cash or by bank transfer
• When the rent will be reviewed and how much notice your landlord will give you of a rent review
• Who pays for the bills
• Can visitors stay overnight?

If you and your landlord each sign and keep a copy of this agreement, you can both refer to it if there is confusion or disagreement.

What if I am a student renting a room in my landlord’s home?

If you are a student renting in your landlord's house, there is a voluntary regulatory framework to help set ground rules between you and your landlord.

There is also a sample license agreement (pdf) you can use, that sets out some of these rules, such as how much the deposit is.

Our page Sharing accommodation with your landlord has more information about this.

Threshold has information to help you work out if you are a tenant or a licensee.

How to prevent problems with your housemates

When sharing accommodation with other people, there can be minor issues.

But, in general, things go more smoothly if you are:

• Considerate of the other people you’re sharing with
• Pay your fair share of the rent and bills
• Always do your part of the housework

Often you can prevent problems with your housemates by discussing and agreeing to some house rules. You could draw up a housemate agreement that sets out people’s boundaries and expectations. This could cover things like:

• Are guests allowed to stay over
• Who pays for shared items for the home
• How the cleaning is divided up

Spunout has information about what you could include in a housemate agreement.

How to resolve issues between yourselves

If you have a dispute with someone you live with in your rented home, you should try to resolve the issue yourselves first.

You should:

• Speak to them in person at a time that suits the both of you
• Approach the conversation with an open mind
• Explain calmly and clearly what this issue is and how it is affecting you
• Give the other person time to respond

Spunout has useful information about how to approach these conversations.

What if I still can’t resolve the issue?

You can’t refer these types of disputes to the Residential Tenancies Board as they do not handle:

• Disputes between tenants
• Disputes between a tenant living in their landlord’s home

But, you do have other ways to resolve the issue, such as:

• Taking a case to Small Claims Court
• Reporting the behaviour to your landlord and crimes to the Gardaí
• Moving out

Take a case to the Small Claims Court

If you can't resolve the issue, you may be able to take your case to the Small Claims Court.

This is really the only legal option you have if you have a dispute with another tenant or are renting a room in your landlord’s home.

Report dangerous behaviour to your landlord and crimes to the Gardaí

If someone you are living with is harming you, or making you feel unsafe, you should report this to your landlord.

Your landlord only needs to give them 7 days’ notice to leave the property, if their behaviour is seriously anti-social. For example, this applies if they threaten you, or are violent.

If their behaviour does not fit the criteria for serious anti-social behaviour, your landlord can give them 28 days notice to leave the property for breaking their tenant's obligations. However, the tenant first needs to get:

• A warning notice from the landlord
• Time to fix their behaviour

See our information on exceptions to notice periods for more on this.

You can also report crimes to the Gardaí.

Move out of the shared accommodation

Sometimes sharing rented accommodation with others won’t work out for whatever reason. In these situations, it may be best to end the agreement and find more suitable alternative accommodation.

You can also contact Threshold for advice about what to do.

Sometimes in shared accommodation someone will have to move out. For example, because they:

• Finish college
• Want to move away
• Emigrate for a job
• Want to move in with a partner or family member

If this happens, you need to know who is responsible for the rent and finding someone else to live in the shared home. How this works can be different depending on what type of arrangement you have.

If you have a house share

If you share a home with other tenants, you are probably a tenant in a ‘jointly and severally liable tenancy’. This usually applies if you:

• Live in the property alone together
• Share responsibility for the rent and household bills

This means that the household is considered one tenancy, and you all have rights and responsibilities for the tenancy. For example:

• The household rent must be paid. So, if someone you live with doesn’t pay their share of the rent or moves out, the rest of you must cover it.
• If someone wants to leave the tenancy, it may have to end for everyone, unless the landlord agrees to a new tenant.

If you rent a room in a shared home

If you just rent just a room in a rented property, you may have a room-by-room occupancy.

You are usually in this situation if:

• The landlord advertises and views the room with you
• Other rooms are already occupied
• You get a separate lease for your room
• Bills are in the landlord’s name
• You are the only person living in your room

In this type of arrangement, you are only responsible for your own room.

You do not have to:

• Make up the rent if someone moves out of another room
• Look for a new tenant; your landlord will do this

If you are unsure about the type of arrangement you have in your shared home and your responsibilities when someone leaves, contact Threshold for advice.

You can contact Threshold for advice, if you have questions about sharing rented accommodation.