53Responsibility of tenant for cleanliness and damage

53 Responsibility of tenant for cleanliness and damage

(1)  [Section 53 Renumbered by No. 11 of 2020, Sched. 2, Applied:27 Mar 2020] A tenant of residential premises –

(a) is to keep the premises in a reasonable state of cleanliness having regard to the condition of the premises at the beginning of the tenancy; and

(b) at the end of the tenancy, is to leave the premises as nearly as possible in the same condition, apart from reasonable wear and tear –

(i) as set out in the condition report; or

(ii) if there is no condition report, as the premises were at the start of the tenancy.

(2)  [Section 53 Subsection (2) inserted by No. 11 of 2020, Sched. 2, Applied:27 Mar 2020] A tenant is not to be taken to have failed to comply with subsection (1) in relation to premises if –

(a) the failure ought reasonably to be taken to have occurred for reasons related to the socially-dislocating disease, including but not limited to the effect of any other provision of this Act included by the COVID-19 Emergency Act; or

(b) it is not reasonably practicable to comply with that subsection on grounds reasonably related to the presence of that disease in the State.