Students renting a room in an owner-occupied home are often licensees rather than tenants, so the Residential Tenancies Act and RTB dispute service may not apply. Your rights usually come from the written or agreed licence terms, including rent, deposit, notice, access, house rules and use of shared facilities, so ask for these in writing and keep payment records. The accommodation should still meet applicable health and safety requirements, and discrimination or unlawful conduct may be challengeable through other routes. If you occupy a self-contained unit or the homeowner does not live there, it may instead be a tenancy covered by the RTB, so check official RTB guidance or seek advice from Threshold or a solicitor.