Tips for Tenants

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As a tenant, you are now responsible for your new home and for maintaining the property in a good condition. You are also obliged to adhere to all safety protocols in your rental property. We have put together useful tips to help you during your tenancy.

General fire safety information

• Your home is fitted with a smoke and/or heat detection system
• NEVER interfere or tamper with the smoke or fire alarms system, unless it is to check it is working or to change a      battery
• Regularly test your fire alarm and/or smoke alarm to make sure it is working, ideally once a week
• If there are battery powered smoke or heat detectors in your home, you should be checking them regularly and replacing batteries as required. Do not remove batteries unless you have new ones to install immediately
• Keep a torch handy in case of a power outage
• NEVER interfere with fire doors in your home or Apartment complex by removing door closers, painting over intumescent seals or replacing with a non-fire-rated door / frame.

Be prepared. Give some thought to what you would do if there was a fire in your home, how would you get out? Escaping from a fire will be easier if you have planned an escape route. Whilst the risk of fire is low it is essential to be prepared in advance.

What to do if there is a fire in your home:

• Call the Fire Brigade – 999 or 112
• Leave the building by the nearest fire exit & go to the nearest fire assembly      point
• Do not under any circumstances, expose yourself to danger
• Do not stop to collect personal belongings
• Do not use the lift
• Once outside, do not enter the building until you are told it is safe to do so      by the fire services
• Please inform your Landlord or Management Agent as soon as possible

If you smell Gas in the property. Key steps to be taken:

1. Ensure all gas appliances are turned off and have not been left on.
2. Don’t unplug or switch anything electrical on or off.
3. Call Bord Gáis Networks, 24 Hour Emergency Line 1850 20 50 50 
4. If you can’t get through contact 999 / 112. 

• Tenants should take note and be aware where the mains water supply valve & gas supply valves are located. The most common places for the mains water valves are under the sink and beside the water cylinder.
• Should a tenant get a burst pipe in their rental property & if this happen out of normal business working hours, the tenant will need to contact the emergency plumber.
• If a tenant get locked out or loses their keys, they must contact a locksmith. The tenant is responsible for the cost of replacement keys. If locks are changed, a set of keys must be provided to the Landlord or Agent managing the property.
• It is the Tenants responsibility to make note of the Management Company’s details and be aware of the House Rules where they apply. Tenants must abide by the rules and cause no disruption to their neighbours and adhere to the parking arrangements. 
• Lightbulbs and fuses are a consumable and it is a tenants responsibility to replace any bulbs or fuses that they use up during their tenancy.

Keeping a property well aired and ventilated is essential to prevent mould, mildew and damp issues. Damp is caused by poor circulation of air. Apartment dwellers typically leave their windows closed all day and all night and come home in the evening to turn on the heating, the washing machine, cook and take a shower. Combine this with the greatly improved standards of insulation currently in use and a damp problem inevitably prevails. Tenants must keep the property well ventilated throughout the year and heated appropriately for the season. Here are some tips on how to keep the property well ventilated.

• Ensure that windows open for set periods of time, each day
• Open the windows in kitchen when cooking & use the kitchen extract fan
• Open the windows in the bathroom when showering
• Do not switch off the bathroom extract fan
• To maximise air flow throughout the property after cooking or bathing, keep windows and doors open- allowing condensation to escape.
• Avoid drying clothes inside on radiators or clothes airers. The use of the dryer to dry clothes minimises moisture in the air which will lead to a build up of condensation in the property 
• Wipe down windows effected by condensation on daily basis and if any mould has formed, clean it off using appropriate product from a supermarket

The landlord’s Insurance usually covers the building and Landlords Inventory. The Landlord and/or the Landlord’s Agent is never responsible for any of the Tenant’s belongings, contents, fixtures and/or fittings. It is the tenant’s responsibility to hold adequate insurance for all his/her contents secured and contained on the Premises.

A tenant cannot assign or sub let or take in paying guests or allow any others person to reside in the property without first obtaining approval in writing from the Landlord. 

Please note that the security deposit paid at the commencement of the rental is held by the Landlord and not the Letting/Managing Agent. Under no circumstances are tenants to use the deposit as the last month’s rent.

In any rental property, it is a tenants responsibility to maintain and use all appliances correctly and not to damage any of the Inventory of the property. Correct maintenance and proper ‘housekeeping’ of appliances will ensure efficient operation of the appliances and reduce unnecessary and costly repairs or replacements.

The Landlord is responsible for servicing or addressing faults or failures with an appliance, the tenant is responsible for correct maintenance and for any breakages/damages that have been caused by misuse or incorrect use of an appliance.