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Letting to a tenant who cannot view in person: a guide for Irish landlords

By the DepositSafe team · Updated 13 October 2026 · 5 minute read

General information, not legal advice. For your own case, check the Residential Tenancies Board (rtb.ie), Threshold or a solicitor.

The short answer

A tenant abroad has been told by Gardaí not to pay for a home they cannot view, so the work is yours: show that the home exists and that you are entitled to let it, put the agreement in writing before any money moves, ask for no more than the law allows, and take the deposit in a way that does not require the tenant to trust a stranger.

What your tenant has been told

Every August, An Garda Síochána and Threshold warn renters about accommodation fraud. The warning signs they list include a landlord who cannot show the home, pressure to pay quickly, payment before a lease is signed, and contact only by messaging app. A good tenant who has read that advice will hesitate at exactly the steps a remote let involves. Our guide to rental scams in Ireland sets out the list they are working from.

Show that the home is real

  • Give the full address and Eircode in the first message, so the tenant can find it on a map.
  • Offer a live video viewing. Start in the street, open the front door, and show whatever the tenant asks to see.
  • Welcome a viewing by someone they trust: a friend, a colleague, or their employer's or college's contact.
  • Use your own photos, recent and dated, of every room.

Show who you are

  • Give your full name, a phone number and an address for correspondence. Tenants are entitled to their landlord's contact details.
  • Offer photo ID, and make sure the name matches the tenancy agreement and the account the tenant will pay.
  • If the home is already let, the tenant can find it on the RTB register. If it is a first letting, say so, and register the new tenancy with the RTB as the law requires.
  • If you use a letting agent, give the tenant the agent's Property Services Regulatory Authority licence number.

What to ask the tenant for, and when

The Data Protection Commission's guidance is to collect only what you need at each stage. Before you offer the tenancy, that is enough to identify the person and assess the application. A PPS number is needed to register the tenancy, so ask for it when the lease is being agreed, not at the enquiry stage. The same goes for bank details and copies of bills.

Agreement first, money second

  • Send the written tenancy agreement, with the rent, the deposit, the start date and the address, before you ask for payment.
  • Ask for a deposit of no more than one month's rent and advance rent of no more than one month's rent. See deposit rules in Ireland.
  • Give a receipt for every payment.
  • Never ask for cash or an untraceable transfer: both are on the Garda list of warning signs.

Securing the deposit without asking for blind trust

You want to know the tenant is committed before you take the home off the market. The tenant wants to know the money is safe until they are inside. An escrow service answers both. With DepositSafe the tenant pays the full deposit by card before they travel, and you can see that it has been paid. You verify your identity once, and the deposit reaches your bank account by transfer after the tenant confirms the move-in. If either side reports a problem first, the deposit stays held while our team reviews it with both of you. The tenant pays a service fee of 4% of the deposit; landlords pay nothing.

On move-in day

Let to a tenant who cannot view. The deposit is paid before they travel and released at move-in.

See how it works

Common questions

How can a landlord let to a tenant who cannot view the property?

Give the full address and Eircode, offer a live video viewing that starts in the street, welcome a viewing by someone the tenant trusts, share photo ID that matches the agreement and the payment account, and send the written tenancy agreement before asking for any money.

How much can a landlord ask a tenant abroad to pay upfront?

The same as any tenant: a deposit of no more than one month's rent and advance rent of no more than one month's rent.

When can a landlord ask a prospective tenant for a PPS number?

When the lease is being agreed, not at the enquiry stage. The Data Protection Commission's guidance is to collect only what is needed at each stage, and a PPS number is needed to register the tenancy.

How can a landlord secure a deposit from a tenant who is still abroad?

Through an escrow service. With DepositSafe the tenant pays the full deposit by card before travelling, the landlord can see that it has been paid, and it reaches the landlord's bank account after the tenant confirms the move-in. Landlords pay nothing.

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