How to refer a deposit dispute to the RTB: a step-by-step guide

By the DepositSafe team · Updated 13 October 2026 · 6 minute read

The short answer

Apply to the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) online through the RTB Service Centre, or with a paper form. Choose mediation, which is free and took about 10 weeks on average in 2025, or adjudication, which costs €30 and took about 20 weeks. Both end with a legally binding Determination Order, and either side can appeal to a Tenancy Tribunal within 10 working days. Apply as soon as you know you cannot agree: the RTB sets a time limit for each type of dispute, some as short as 28 days after the tenancy ends.

Before you apply

• Try to settle it first. Put your position in writing and give the other side a chance to answer. Our guide My landlord won't return my deposit has a letter you can send.
• Gather your evidence. The lease, proof of the deposit payment, move-in and move-out photos, the inventory, messages about repairs, and any quotes or invoices for deductions. The RTB has a guide to evidence.
• Know what you are claiming. Write down the amount you dispute, item by item, and why. Our guide to deductions and wear and tear explains what a landlord can and cannot keep.
• Check the time limit for your dispute on rtb.ie. The RTB extends limits only in exceptional circumstances.

Step 1: choose mediation or adjudication

Mediation is voluntary, so both sides have to take part. If it does not lead to an agreement, you can still apply for adjudication or appeal to a tribunal.

Step 2: apply

• Online, through the RTB Service Centre, where you can also pay the adjudication fee.
• On paper, with the dispute application form from rtb.ie, sent by email to disputes@rtb.ie or by post to the address on the form.

You will be asked for details of the tenancy, the other party and what the dispute is about. Keep a copy of everything you send.

Step 3: send your evidence

Submit your evidence before the hearing or mediation session, and keep it organised: one folder per item in dispute, with dated photos and documents. If you are a landlord claiming deductions, it is for you to show why part of the deposit was kept.

Step 4: the hearing

Most adjudication hearings are held by video call, and in-person hearings are arranged when necessary in towns around the country. A hearing usually takes one to two hours. Each side explains its case and answers questions, and you can reach an agreement at any point: if you do, the adjudicator can make it legally binding.

Step 5: the decision, and appeals

The adjudicator sends a report with the decision and the reasons. Either side can appeal to a Tenancy Tribunal within 10 working days, counting from the day the report is delivered. A tribunal is a full re-hearing of the case. If nobody appeals, the decision becomes a legally binding Determination Order, which states what must be paid and by when. If it is not complied with, it can be enforced through the courts.

Why not go to court instead?

For most tenancy disputes you cannot. Section 182 of the Residential Tenancies Act 2004 keeps disputes that can go to the RTB out of the courts, unless the claim is large, for example damages above €20,000. For a deposit, the RTB is the route.

Evidence from the first day

The RTB process works, but it depends on evidence. With DepositSafe the deposit is held in escrow until the tenant has moved in, and the tenant records the condition of the home at check-in, with notes and a photo both sides can see. The deposit is released to the landlord after the move-in, so an end-of-tenancy dispute still goes to the RTB, which stays open to both sides.

Sources

• RTB: disputes process
• RTB: guide to mediation
• RTB: guide to adjudication
• RTB: guide to evidence
• RTB: tribunals
• Residential Tenancies Act 2004, section 182