A rental listing, business website or company record does not prove that the person requesting a deposit can let the property. Before paying an Irish letting agent, check the agent’s current Property Services Regulatory Authority (PSRA) licence, identify the legal business, view the accommodation and agree the tenancy terms. Each check answers a different question; none is a universal “safe to pay” badge.
Direct answer
For an agent handling a residential letting, verify the property services provider and the individual agent in the PSRA register, including the letting category. Match the agency’s legal identity and the property address to your documents, view the property, clarify who may accept the deposit, and obtain written payment terms and a receipt. Do not send money solely because a CRO company or an RTB address record exists.
First identify who is offering the tenancy
Ask whether you are dealing with a licensed letting agent, a landlord letting their own property, or someone acting on another person’s behalf. This distinction matters: a private landlord does not generally need a PSRA property-services licence merely to let their own property, while a business providing regulated letting services should be checked in the PSRA register. Ask for the full name of the landlord, the agency’s legal name where one is involved, the property address and the name of the person who will sign the agreement.
An email domain or branded listing does not establish authority. Fraudsters can copy a genuine agent’s logo, photographs and address. Call the agency using a phone number found independently on its official website or register listing, and ask it to confirm the staff member, property and bank details. Do this before paying, particularly if the contact switches to a new messaging account or a different payee.
Check the PSRA licence and the relevant service category
The PSRA publishes a register of licensed property services providers. Search for the business and, where applicable, the individual you are dealing with. The PSRA identifies licence category C for letting of land. Category D covers property management and is not, by itself, the letting category. Match the licence holder, number, status and authorised category to the service actually being offered.
Read the PSRA’s status notes rather than judging only by an expiry date: a renewal pending determination can affect how a listing appears, and coloured entries carry specific meanings. If a result is ambiguous, confirm it directly with the PSRA. Our separate PSRA licence verification guide explains the register fields in more detail. A licence is evidence about permission to provide property services, not proof that a specific listing or payment request is genuine.
Use a CRO search for identity, not permission to let a property
If the agent operates through a company, ask for its CRO number and search the company record. Compare the legal name with the agency’s terms, correspondence and intended receipt. A trading name can differ from the registered company name, so ask the agency to explain the relationship. A “Normal” CRO status means the incorporated entity is on the register; it does not establish that its PSRA licence is current or that it manages the property shown in an advert.
The same limitation applies to a landlord company. A company record confirms the entity’s registration details, not ownership of a particular apartment, the right to let it or the authenticity of a bank account. Use the legal record to identify who you may be contracting with, then check authority through the agent or landlord and tenancy paperwork. For context, see our guide to checking an Irish company’s identity.
View the property and confirm authority
An in-person viewing is the strongest routine check that the advertised accommodation exists and that you are being shown the right address. Ask the agent how they are instructed by the landlord and who will execute the tenancy agreement. If you cannot view in person, use a trusted representative where possible and be explicit about the extra risk. Garda accommodation-fraud guidance warns against paying for a property you have not viewed and against trusting copied listings or key-shipping stories.
Compare the actual entrance, unit number and condition with the advert. Be wary of a viewing that only shows a common area, a refusal to disclose the full address until after payment, or a demand to reserve a property before any reasonable identity check. A real viewing still does not prove that the person showing it can grant a tenancy, so independently verify the agent’s office and the written authority where there is uncertainty.
What each public check can and cannot tell you
| Check | Useful for | Important limitation |
|---|---|---|
| PSRA register | Checking business or individual licensing and relevant category | Does not authenticate a specific advert, caller or bank account |
| CRO company record | Identifying an incorporated agency or landlord company | Does not prove property ownership or letting authority |
| RTB tenancy register | Checking whether an existing tenancy is registered at an address | Does not show that a new vacancy is real or a future tenancy is registered |
| Property viewing | Confirming the accommodation and its visible condition | Does not by itself prove the person showing it is authorised to let it |
| Written agreement and receipt | Recording landlord, rent, deposit, terms and payee | Must still be checked against independent identities |
Check the deposit amount and payment instructions
The Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) says that, for an ordinary tenancy, a security deposit may be no more than one month’s rent. Its guidance also says to pay only once satisfied with the property and tenancy terms, avoid cash where possible and get a signed, dated receipt. Rules can differ for particular accommodation arrangements, so confirm which tenancy framework applies if the offer is unusual. Request the proposed agreement and clarify when the tenancy starts, what is included in the rent, and when and on what basis a deposit can be withheld or returned.
Ask who is holding the deposit: the landlord or the agent. The RTB notes that an agent may hold it, but you should still receive the landlord’s contact details. Verify bank details through an independently sourced number, especially when an email says payment instructions have changed. Do not send a deposit to a stranger’s personal account merely to “hold your place”, and retain proof of payment as well as a receipt from the person who took it.
What the RTB register does and does not prove
The RTB offers a check of registered tenancies by address. It can be useful when researching a property that has been let before. A result is not proof that the current advertiser owns the property, that a room is available, or that a proposed new tenancy has already been registered. No result is also not, by itself, proof that the offer is a scam: registration timing, address matching and tenancy type can affect what appears. Treat it as one corroborating check, not the deciding one.
After a tenancy begins, separate registration obligations apply to the landlord. If you encounter a demand that appears to exceed the permitted deposit or rent-in-advance limits, consult current RTB guidance or seek tenancy advice rather than assuming the written request is lawful.
When to stop and ask for help
Stop if the agent cannot be independently reached at its official office, a licence is absent or inappropriate for the service, you cannot establish who the landlord is, or the person insists on payment before a reasonable viewing and written terms. Cloned photographs, unusual urgency, changing bank details and a price far below comparable local homes are additional reasons to slow down. Report suspected accommodation fraud to An Garda Síochána; for a tenancy-rights question, use the RTB’s current guidance or an independent housing-advice service.
If you also need to understand the business behind a letting agency, a company report may organise its public registration and filing history. It cannot validate a particular rental listing, agency instruction, property title or deposit account. Keep those enquiries separate and proportionate to the money at risk.
Sources and editorial review
Reviewed on 22 September 2026 against the PSRA’s licence register and consumer guidance, the RTB’s security-deposit guidance and tenancy-register explanation, and Garda fraud advice. This guide is general information, not a determination of any agent’s authority or a substitute for tailored tenancy advice.