Is it a legal requirement to sign a lease when renting a property?

21 Schump Street

A friend of mine will be renting a room in a house. He has paid a deposit and when he asked to sign the lease, the landlord said that there was no need for one. Is this a cause for concern?

Paulw

Is he renting a room in a house, or renting a room in the home where the landlord lives? If it's the latter, then he is a licensee, rather than a tenant.

http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/housing/renting_a_home/sharing_accommodation_with_your_landlord.html

21 Schump Street

Paulw wrote: »

Is he renting a room in a house, or renting a room in the home where the landlord lives? If it's the latter, then he is a licensee, rather than a tenant.

http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/housing/renting_a_home/sharing_accommodation_with_your_landlord.html

He is renting a room in the house which the landlord does not occupy.

CatFromHue

Is it a house share with other people so?

21 Schump Street

CatFromHue wrote: »

Is it a house share with other people so?

Yes, it's a two bed apartment.

Michael D Not Higgins

You don't need a lease but without it your friend doesn't know what his status is. He may still be a licencee, or he may be a tenant on a periodic tenancy rather than fixed term. Leases do not have to be written and can be verbal agreements but it comes down to he said she said should there be any problem.