Rent a Room Scheme Experiences

This is a point to consider as well, its a bit of a grey area, revenue say "The room or rooms can comprise a self-contained unit within the residence such as a basement flat or a converted garage attached to the residence". and "Landlords are generally required to register details of their residential tenancies with the Residential Tenancies Board14 (previously the Private Residential Tenancies Board), including, for example, where the tenancy relates to a self-contained residential unit in the landlord’s own residence. However, the requirement to register a tenancy does not apply where the landlord and tenant are sharing the same self-contained unit.

but then if you look at the RTB site it states that their remit does not extend to the Rent a Room scheme (where the landlord and the tenant share the same self contained property).

Absolutely possible!

Just curious, I wonder would an area with separate living space, bathroom, kitchenette be covered under tenant law if there was a permantly locked door between it and the main house space.

if i take in a licensee or two in my private residence and i pay for the electricity and oil [heating]myself out of my own account will this expenses payment by myself be considered separate from the 14000 euros p. a. tax free ?

Just make sure that you interview and vet anyone whom you rent a room to. Many years ago, I was playing in a band with a lad who rented out a room to a guy without doing any diligent background checks. To say that there were problems would be gruesomely unstated. Some of the stuff that I personally saw was comedy gold, but I can't relate any of it here; it's too spicy. What I can say is that when my friend did eventually have to kick the guy out, there was a lot of trouble.

Your home is your sanctuary. Be wary of whom you let in!

Just be careful if you're renting out a self contained unit in your home, it may no longer fall under a license agreement but a tenancy agreement. If so, you will also be required to register with the RTB.

There's more information here: https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/housing/owning-a-home/home-owners/renting-out-a-room-in-your-home/

planning permission is dependent on what exactly is being done though, may technically not be required if it is very minor

hence why i said it depends on what exactly is being done

I have friends who just moved out of what amounts to an apartment made out of 2 rooms and an ensuite at one end of a house. Other friends moved into it then, but before they di they checked out if they were tenants or licensees.

One room with en0siute is the living room of the apartment and the other is the bedroom. There is an en suite in there too.

They have a hob, microwave and a fridge, tv in one corner of the "living room" (that room is the size of two double bedrooms). All their bills including rent, electricity, hot water, heating, broadband are included in their rent.

They go around the side of the house into patio doors into their living room. And there is a door between theirs and the main house.

They were told that they could use the main house but they should never need to because they have everything they need. That was basically telling them, without saying it, that they could use the rest of the house, but that if they do they will be out of there the next week.

Also they have a key to the door of the utility room and can use the door of the utility room when they want to do washing.

So they have their own self contained 1 bed apartment with everything they need. They "choose" not to enter the rest of the house. They are happy with this arrangement.

I am specifically dealing with making 2 dwellings out one 1,

SF want all licensees, people in digs and room renters, to have tenant rights and come under the rtb. Can't see many owner occupiers being ok with giving a lodger a right to an unlimited occupancy in their private residence after 6 months. Imo that would scare off a lot of people who currently do RaR and the number of rooms to let in owner occupied homes would vanish. Good way to make the situation for renting rooms or student digs worse though 😏

If the licensee has exclusive use of one kitchen and the landlord another then the RTB will likely decide the occupant is a tenant.

If it came to it, what is ultimately looked at is the reality of the situation rather than what is written on any "lease" or "licensee: agreement.