Common terms
A residential tenancy glossary
Assign the premises: To transfer rights to occupy the premises and associated responsibilities to another person.
Boarder: An occupant who shares your house, pays rent and receives some services from you, such as cooking or cleaning.
Bond: Money paid by the tenant and held in trust by an independent third party as security against damage to the premises.
Breach of agreement: The breaking of a term or condition of the tenancy agreement, i.e. doing something the agreement or Act says you cannot do or not doing something the agreement or Act says you should do.
Contract out: To include a clause within a written agreement that excludes, modifies or restricts a provision of the Act.
Deposit: Rent in advance.
Fair wear and tear: General terms for anything that occurs through ordinary use. Wilful and intentional damage, or negligence, is not fair wear and tear.
Fixed-term tenancy: A tenancy agreement that says you'll lease the property for a set period.
Head tenant: A tenant who sub-lets to a third person (who is known as a 'sub tenant').
Landlord: See 'owner', below.
Lease: Another word for a tenancy agreement. A lease can be verbal or it can be in writing. It should clearly state the terms and conditions of occupying the premises that have been agreed between both parties.
Lodger: A lodger is similar to a boarder, has permission to occupy part of the premises under some degree of control and pays rent. Unlike a boarder, a lodger does not generally receive services such as cooking.
Option fee: A fee charged to the prospective tenant while their application is being considered.
Owner: The person who owns the property and who is entitled to collect rent. The owner can appoint an agent, but the agent has the same responsibilities as the owner/landlord.
Periodic tenancy: An agreement that doesn't specify a fixed end date to the tenancy.
Premises: A general term for a property. It can mean a house, duplex, unit, flat, apartment or caravan site, caravan or park home and can include the land on which the premises are situated.
Property: In relation to rental properties, this includes the building, garden and any sheds etc.
Property condition report: A list of the contents and their condition, as well as the condition of the fixed parts of the property such as walls, ceilings and doors.
Quiet enjoyment: The right of the tenant to be able to occupy, use and enjoy the premises in reasonable privacy and without undue interference.
Rent: The money the tenant pays you for the right to live in the premises.
Security bond: See 'Bond' above.
Sub-let: A rental agreement where the tenant rents out all or a part of the premises to another person.
Sub tenant: The tenant in a sub-let arrangement, who pays rent to the 'head tenant'.
Tenancy bond: See 'Bond' above.
Tenant: The person who rents accommodation from you.
Termination of a tenancy: When either the landlord, the tenant or the court ends a tenancy by:
- agreement; or
- the provisions of the Residential Tenancies Act; or
- a court order.