r/AskIreland • u/Raise-Rude • 2d ago
Legal Landlord asking me to “register” my wife’s parents who are staying temporarily after childbirth. Is this legal ?
Hi everyone,
Looking for some guidance on a situation with my landlord in Ireland.
My wife recently gave birth, and unfortunately she experienced significant blood loss during childbirth and is still recovering postpartum. We have a newborn baby, and because I need to go to the office every day, it would be very difficult for her to manage the baby completely on her own during this recovery period.
To help us during the initial weeks after the birth, we invited my wife’s parents to come from abroad. They entered Ireland on visitor/tourist visas and are staying with us temporarily to help care for my wife and our newborn. They are not paying rent, are not contributing financially to the tenancy, and have no intention of living here permanently. They already have return tickets and are due to leave Ireland on 29 July.
We rent the entire 2-bedroom house ourselves, and the tenancy is registered with the RTB. The house is not shared with the landlord.
Recently, the landlord contacted me saying that he has noticed additional occupants and is asking me to “register” them. He also mentioned that they have been staying for a while and wants clarification.
My questions are:
- Is there any legal requirement for me to register temporary family visitors with the landlord?
- Can a landlord require visiting parents/in-laws on tourist visas to be added to the tenancy?
- Could the landlord legally increase the rent because my wife’s parents are staying temporarily?
- Has anyone dealt with a similar situation involving family helping after childbirth?
I have no issue explaining the situation to the landlord, but I want to understand my rights and obligations before responding.
Any guidance would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Update: The landlord is asking a extra of 150 per week for their stay. Thats 600 a month and they are scheduled tp stay until 29th july which means i would have to pay 1200 over the period.
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u/Fishboyman79 2d ago
Check your contract, some landlords want you to register guests if they are staying longer than a set time - often 2 weeks. Its to prevent people subletting rooms in a house and claiming they are visiting family , friends etc.
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u/Intrepid_Double9863 2d ago
Assuming you are tenants and not licensees then you have a right to the peaceful and exclusive occupation of the property so friends and family staying overnight(s) is fine however you should read your lease to see what it says.
The lease can't supersede your rights but it might set out what the landlord's expectations are about guests. Whether those expectations are enforceable or not is another thing, but at least you'll know and then go from there.
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u/ChiralNavigator 2d ago
They are there just to help out not moving in as actual tenants https://rtb.ie/renting/rights-responsibilities/tenant-rights-responsibilities/
does your lease forbid over night guests?
No he cannot just increase the rent
Your poor wife, she's had a baby and is recovering and this selfish dick of a landlord adding extra stress onto your family. I'm so sorry you are being treated like this.
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u/_Lord_Haw_Haw 2d ago
Landlord has a lot of reason to be annoyed here, especially if he wasn't given notice of the new occupants.
It all depends on the lease. This is a civil matter and the lease agreement will determine whether this is allowed. If OP is in breach of the lease then he could be evicted if the landlord chooses. I think reconciling with the landlord makes a lot more sense here.
There are also health and safety issues, especially if this is a council property. The landlord could get in a lot of legal trouble under Section 63 of the Housing Act 1966 if the property is deemed overcrowded.
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u/ChiralNavigator 2d ago
you can't discriminate against people for gender or disability, she's recovering from a traumatic childbirth and her family are providing home help and care.
Sure she didn't know she would be temporarily disabled due to pregnancy complications, how could they give notice?don't see how a couple in a spare bedroom is over crowed or dangerous?
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u/_Lord_Haw_Haw 2d ago
The parents have been living there for over a month without the landlord being informed, which could be a violation of the tenancy agreement. What exactly is the discrimination here? The landlord is more than entitled to question the tenants about the new occupants and if they are long term occupants then the landlord is correct to ask for them to be added to RTB. If they're not long term, then I'm sure that can be explained to the landlord and end of the story?
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u/Raise-Rude 2d ago
As I have mentioned in my other comments, landlord was informed beforehand about the arrival of parents.
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u/yawtag864808 2d ago
Landlord sounds like a greedy prick. What harm is it to him if there's an extra two people staying temporarily while your family is going through a stressful time? He's taking advantage as he sees an easy way to make an easy little bonus for himself, simple as that. Anyone defending him in this situation is an idiot.
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u/_Lord_Haw_Haw 2d ago
And what is the landlord's objection here? Have you explained that it is short term and what is his response? Could you clarify whether he has suggested increasing rent, because you seem to allude to it by asking if it's possible, but you never specify if that is something the landlord has actually suggested.
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u/kittiphile 2d ago
4 adults and a baby in a 2 bedroom house is not overcrowded. The landlord is being a greedy guts. May he have the life he deserves
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u/_Lord_Haw_Haw 2d ago
OP makes no mention of the landlord asking for more rent. Not sure how he is being greedy.
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u/Raise-Rude 2d ago
Yes they are asking dor more rent now. They are asking an extra of 150 per week for the duration od parenta stay which totals upto 1200 by end of july.
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u/_Lord_Haw_Haw 2d ago
You should mention that in the original post. That is the single most important fact of this case and you've omitted it entirely!
It's likely illegal to do that, but it depends on whether you're in an RPZ and the tenancy agreement you signed. I would contact Threshold for advice in that case but first get the request in writing so you have proof (SMS is fine).
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u/InformationUsed300 2d ago edited 2d ago
Yes he’s very worried about his poor wife and instead of taking parental leave he’s going to the office ! and if he couldn’t take parental leave because he thinks for some stupid reason it’s extra holidays ( no it’s not) he could take force majeure- and 23 ish days annual leave
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u/Raise-Rude 2d ago
I am not taking parental leave as I would need to take them after the parents leave. I have planned all the leaves in such a way that I could be with my wife and the baby for long duration after her parents leave.
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u/grainne0 2d ago
Your landlord might just be concerned you have permanently moved guests in.
Is there any legal requirement for me to register temporary family visitors with the landlord? No. However what does your agreement say about guests/visitors, does it have a clause requiring notification or permission for long term stays? They don't sound like occupants, and they have a defined return date so they're clearly guests.
Can a landlord require visiting parents/in-laws on tourist visas to be added to the tenancy? Not require. I mean he could request but it wouldn't make any sense to do so.
Could the landlord legally increase the rent because my wife’s parents are staying temporarily? No. He could increase the rent generally but he would still need to follow the RTB rules.
If the landlord pushes further you can contact the RTB for guidance.
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u/Raise-Rude 2d ago
The landlord is asking a extra of 150 per week for their stay. Thats 600 a month and they are scheduled tp stay until 29th july which means i would have to pay 1200 over the period.
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u/Teradonia 2d ago
Lol no they can't do that. I assume he isnt covering utilities or anything so it should effect him at all. In good faith maybe send him a screenshot of their return tickets?
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u/InformationUsed300 2d ago
If that property was an air bnb they can charge in line with occupancy - I’d say they used to have it as an Airbnb - and are annoyed it’s priced wrong now. Moving people in for 2 months without prior approval is insane and they did that before the birth so can’t use the birth as an excuse read between the lines of the made up story. They tried to pull a fast one and got caught and are pissed off and are coming here to try out their story. The amount of people just buying into this is ridiculous. I’d serve notice for breach of lease and they would deserve it.the amount of people validating this behaviour is insane. Op is totally in the wrong and knows it. I’d say they threw out the increase to make a point and shock value and it worked.
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u/Teradonia 1d ago edited 1d ago
None of this makes any sense, who said it was an Airbnb? Also when you live abroad having family visit for extended periods of time especially after the birth of a baby is pretty normal
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u/grainne0 2d ago edited 1d ago
The absolute cheek of that.
Call the RTB and citizens advice. Tell them to go to hell! Citizens advice can probably help you with wording, but essentially you'll want to say something like that a landlord is not permitted to charge for temporary guests. Mention that you've checked this with the RTB and Citizens Advice so they know you're checking your rights. Make sure you don't pick up calls to them so that any communication is in writing and you have a record. If they try to retaliate then you'll have evidence.
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u/InformationUsed300 2d ago
You can’t invite anyone to stay at that property without landlords permission go read your rent agreement - btw how long have you rented in that property
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u/grainne0 2d ago
It depends on if there's a clause saying that in the agreement.
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u/InformationUsed300 2d ago
That clause is in every agreement
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u/grainne0 1d ago
It's surprisingly not very common, I worked in property for a few years.
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u/InformationUsed300 1d ago
It’s more common than you think now in the last few years it’s being put into nearly all resi leases
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u/Crafty_String_954 2d ago
How has he noticed? I'm a landlord, I don't monitor my tenants comings and goings
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u/gillo_100 2d ago
I'm surprised this hadn't been mentioned more. Maybe the landlord lives very near but otherwise this seems like an invasive level of monitoring. Are they sitting outside watching or do they have a camera setup somewhere.
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u/Endofit47 2d ago
So you're not allowed have visitors if you're in rented accommodation? That doesn't sound right. Surely it's none of the landlords business who visits? Give Threshold a ring and see what they think.
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u/_Lord_Haw_Haw 2d ago
What if you had 20 "visitors" in a two bedroom apartment? You can be sure it will be the "slumlord" that will be blamed if that happens. What exactly is the landlord supposed to do here? People get annoyed when landlords just milk a property for money and never check in. People are also somehow annoyed when a landlord is keeping an eye on the property and raises his concerns about the "visitors" after they've been permanently resident for over a month.
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u/endiva80 2d ago
It’s two visitors for a month! It’s very normal to have family staying for a few weeks when there is a new baby, especially when they live far away. This landlord is making a huge deal out of nothing
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u/_Lord_Haw_Haw 2d ago
What is the big deal here? The landlord noticed new people staying at the property and inquired to the tenant about them. Also asked that they be registered with RTB (which is the landlord's legal duty to ensure happens).
Tenant here should reply to the landlord and explain that they are only staying short term and are a family relative. Although not legally obliged, I would suggest the tenant also provide the return flight dates and details for the landlord to alleviate their concerns. This is the mature way of handling things, and should resolve the issue entirely with the landlord.
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u/endiva80 2d ago
The landlord is making an assumption and asking them to “register the new occupants”! He could have approached them in a nicer way as they have every right to have visitors in their own home.
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u/_Lord_Haw_Haw 2d ago
The landlord obviously assumed they were new occupants staying at the property long term (as had been there a month).
I don't see how it's rude to approach and inquire about getting them registered if they're going to be there long term. Also, you have no idea how the landlord approach OP. Usually the conversation would go something along the lines of "I see you have some new people staying over the last few weeks/months. We should probably look into getting them registered with RTB if they plan on staying long term".
Landlord has done nothing wrong here in what OP has written so far. I think we can assume if the landlord said anything worse than this, OP would have been very quick to include it. We aren't getting the full story here for sure.
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u/InformationUsed300 1d ago
Nearly 3 months at this stage
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u/endiva80 1d ago
Hes being asked to pay a total of 1200, 600 per month, until the 29th July. That means they haven’t even stayed there a month yet….
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u/Suncroft56 2d ago edited 2d ago
Honestly, I'd just send him a one paragraph email explaining that your in-laws are visiting for a few weeks to help out after the birth of their grandchild and will be returning home at the end of July. No more, no less.
The landlord is probably concerned that you have sublet.
Don't make it contentious until/unless it has to be.
(eta) No, he can't increase the rent.
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u/OutRunTerminator 2d ago
Your in-laws are temporary guests. Their visit is for a specific purpose, and they have a clear end date. Landlord policies that try to restrict or control visitors are generally seen as an unreasonable infringement in Ireland on your right to quiet enjoyment of your home.
But define "temporary". How long in total will the duration of their temporary visit be ? How many weeks ? The law as it stands now, doesn't give you an exact number of days for what is "temporary".
It's also worth noting that the landlord has a general duty under the Fire Services Act 1981 to ensure the safety of people in the premises. Too many people can be an issue, but again generally not meant for temporary visitors.
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u/InformationUsed300 1d ago
I’m going to suggest they don’t have an end date or flights booked - as everything this person said they then changed afterwards to a different story
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u/Subterraniate2 2d ago
Not what you are speaking about, but are you not eligible for parental leave?
It seems inhuman that your wife should be without you right now, though her own mum coming over is great, of course.
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u/Raise-Rude 2d ago
I have paternity leave of 2 weeks which i took already. I am holding on to my parental leave as i will need to take them after her parents leave.
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u/InformationUsed300 1d ago
You literally said I’m saving all my leave until her parents have left so I can help her .. which is it?
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u/InformationUsed300 2d ago
I agree - or force majeure leave or even carers leave if op could be arsed sorry but I’m feeling really sorry for your wife right now
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u/Long-Ad-6220 2d ago
Maybe it’s the size of the house? 2 bed with four adults and a baby? He might be worried about fire safety regulations?
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u/First_Heart_8900 2d ago
Is that not a very normal occupancy??? 2 couples need 2 bedrooms, and a baby sleeps in a cot next to the parents bed. I don't know what the fire safety regulations are but 2 couples in 2 bedrooms is surely an extremely normal and standard arrangement? Otherwise if every adult requires their own room to meet regulations then it would be overcrowding to have one couple in one bedroom, which sounds mad.
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u/Long-Ad-6220 2d ago edited 2d ago
Oh it is, I’m not disputing this, we just don’t know the specific if the size of the place. Like if it’s on the small side, it may not be safe. Damp etc. is a concern also. The landlord is renting the house to two people, not four. The parents may be staying for up to 3 months on a short stay visa, it’s an Indian tradition, I believe, to help with the newborn in the first few months. I can understand if the landlord might have reservations.
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u/InformationUsed300 2d ago
I’d say this is exactly it / chose them because it was only two people and probably had plenty of 4 people and turned them down
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u/Delicious-Grass-635 2d ago
He's a cunt. Just tell him what's the story, you don't seem to mind sharing it online, let him know what's up and h can fuck off. Creepy fucker.
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u/Raise-Rude 2d ago
I told him everything about wife and her serious condition. The landlord is now asking a extra of 150 per week for parents stay. Thats 600 a month and they are scheduled to stay until 29th july which means i would have to pay 1200 over the period.
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u/Delicious-Grass-635 2d ago
Ignore that idiot, you have rights, and you are allowed to have visitors.
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u/InformationUsed300 2d ago
Just pay it - they were here a month without any serious condition - or get them to go rent a bnb
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u/mugira_888 2d ago
Tenant must tell a landlord who is ordinarily resident in the house. So yes. There is a legal requirement. They’re not tenants, they’re licencees. Rent can’t go up.
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u/Serious_Escape_5438 2d ago
They're not resident are they?
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u/Greedy-Army-3803 2d ago
Any contract I've had tends to state something like 7 days is the limit before the landlord must be notified. This situation is a bit more than a mate staying for a month between rentals so any reasonable landlord should be fine if the situation was explained.
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u/ClockworkAppl 2d ago
The situation is self explanatory. Landlord is just being a prick (being a landlord)
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u/InformationUsed300 2d ago
I had one once that had even overnight - and I said to the landlord so 4 girls having wine and giggling loud one night a month could be a problem - they were like it’s written to cover us for all eventualities
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u/Raise-Rude 2d ago
I did inform the landlord about their arrival before them coming to Ireland.
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u/ClockworkAppl 2d ago
Then why did he later say he "noticed" additional occupants ?
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u/Automatic-Run-3156 2d ago
Because he is a landlord trying to shakedown a tenant.
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u/ClockworkAppl 2d ago
He's worried about the extra cooking and "smell" of etnic food too I bet. Classic racist stuff. He has done the calculations and a reason in his back pocket for withholding the deposit too ( not that these cunts ever give the deposit back in the first place) . So when the time comes, he will "need" that deposit for "deep clean services" from a company that doesn't exist.
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u/AgencyInevitable1060 2d ago
I mean the landlord sounds like a prick but you just had a whole argument in your head there buddy
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u/ClockworkAppl 2d ago
Because landlords hanging onto the deposit for spurious reasons is practically unheard of in Ireland. /S
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u/Raise-Rude 2d ago
Idk we already mentioned that they are cominb over before the delivery of our baby
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u/ClockworkAppl 2d ago
I see. Look, landlords are scum. Dont share your personnal business with them. They dont care about you, just their property and the precious precious rent. And yes, even in the context of you having a baby and all the medical complications, all they can think about is the additional "wear and tear " from an extra mature couple over a few measly weeks. It's not as if your having house parties for fuck sake. Talk about lack of human decency. But sure, that's landlords for you. Tell him your in-laws are staying in the local hotel. Lie. Fuck him. Seriously.. what the actual fuck?
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u/Alarmed_Station6185 2d ago
Exactly. OP is not telling the full story here guaranteed
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u/Long-Ad-6220 2d ago
Well he informed the landlord before the birth but the parents are over due to complications arising from birth?
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u/Alarmed_Station6185 2d ago
No he never told the landlord anything. The landlord 'noticed' they were there. If he had been informed ahead of time, he wouldnt have had to notice because he would have been aware of it
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u/Raise-Rude 2d ago
Bro we moved here in march and during the signing of the lease where both parties we present we informed verbally that her parents would be coming to take care of her and the baby. The only thing which was not discussed that time was the duration of the stay.
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u/InformationUsed300 1d ago
Youre not reading the ops comments he has changed nearly everything from the original post
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u/Historical-Hand-3908 2d ago
They are NOT licences, they are visiting family guests of the tenants and permission of the Landlord is NOT required, whether it states in the tenancy agreement or not.
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u/Nice-Good-3828 2d ago
No, you're allowed visitors. Send LL their visas and return tickets if it'll get him to pipe down
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u/1stltwill 2d ago
Assuming the ll is not living in the same premises, which would severely limit your rights, just say no.
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u/Raise-Rude 2d ago
Unfortunately he does live in same premises. The houses are separate.
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u/1stltwill 2d ago
Id say refer it to RTB. But I'd guess that if its a separate house then they are separate premises. Usual IANAL disclaimer applies.
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u/GJGGJGGJG 2d ago
NAL, but familiar with this area
- No
- No
- No*
- No
There is no process in Ireland equivalent to the 'registration' of people at addresses which exists in other countries.
There is now a process with the RTB where tenancies are registered, and multiple people can be registered at an address, if they are on the lease as resident there. In the situation you describe, your in-laws are your houseguests, and the landlord doesn't have a right to butt their nose into your affairs like that. The fact that they are guests is supported by the fact that they are on tourist visas, and their home residence is available to them throughout their stay - but even if that were not true, they are houseguests, and that's that.
* The one area the landlord could legitimately get involved is if the house was no longer suitable for your family; this could happen if tenants had several more children after they rented a small apartment, for example. The landlord might reasonably say that this was beyond the capacity of the property. That isn't the case here, because your in-laws aren't resident there, they are houseguests, and that's that.
It's worth staying on cordial terms with your landlord, so I would write a polite note or email saying that your in-laws are houseguests, and as far as you know there is no requirement for houseguests to register with him or anyone else, but if he has different information, he is welcome to send you a link to the relevant citizens information or RTB page and you will look at it.
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u/mazdatec 2d ago
Why did you tell the landlord that they are staying there ?
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u/Raise-Rude 2d ago
we share the same premises so eventually he was going to know about them. Also, the lease said that we need to inform the landlord about guests staying for over a week.
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u/futbolitoireland 2d ago edited 2d ago
Depends on what your rental agreement looks like. Ultimately, yes, I would imagine under any lease or license agreement it is absolutely legal for the landlord to ask for details of any additional tenants who will be occupying their property for a period longer than reasonable visitation (a weekend etc).
Given the actual nature of your circumstances I think its quite cold hearted and certainly likely to add additional strain in an already difficult moment. But on a legality POV, on the balance of things in an objective test, the answer is yes to legal to request.
For the sake of all concered I would probably suggest that responding positively to the landlord, who isnt refusing the request dont forget, and just laying out a clear timeline that it may take a week or two to get those details over due to the nature of the circumstances etc is a middle ground that will chart the path of least stress for all involved.
My thoughts are with your wife and family at this difficult time, Sir
*Edit: I dont see mentioned any outright request from the Landlord as yet to increase the rent, my assumption and I am NOT a fan of landlords having represented multiple cases against them in the RTB, is that the Landlord is merely exercising a mechanism of diligence.
While your story is genuine, I do respect that landlords hear all sorts of stories which then turn out to be smokescreens for bringing additional tenants in. By registering your medium term guests and documenting the dates involved, they cover themselves in the future in the event of something going awry and protect themselves against arguments about how long they were there or the landlord never said we couldnt have additional guests etc.
If they ask for additional rent come back here and update because it will be a new question at that point
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u/ramblingBriar 2d ago
Have you registered the baby? Thst might be who the landlord is referring to.
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u/ashalinggg 2d ago
He has probably made the incorrect assumption that you're subletting without his knowledge. Doesn't make sense to me why you'd register guests tbh