Rent increases in Ireland: the 2026 rules after rent pressure zones
Rent pressure zones (RPZs) ended on 28 February 2026. From 1 March 2026 the Residential Tenancies (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2026 replaced them with a single national system: every private rent set on or after that date, anywhere in the State, is subject to the cap in section 19(4) of the Residential Tenancies Act 2004. A rent may not rise by more than general inflation (the Consumer Price Index) and never by more than 2% a year, pro rata, since the rent was last set; and it may never exceed the market rent.
The 2026 Act also introduced new exemptions. Newly built apartments are capped at inflation only, and for tenancies created from 1 March 2026 a landlord can reset the rent to market level at the start of a new tenancy in limited cases (for example where the previous tenant left voluntarily) and after every six years of a compliant tenancy. Rent reviews still need a notice in the prescribed form with at least 90 days' warning, comparable rents from the RTB's published register, and a copy to the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB).
This guide shows tenants how to check whether an increase is lawful and how to challenge it, and helps landlords issue a valid rent review notice. It covers frequency, the calculation, the notice, the exemptions and the RTB dispute procedure.
Key facts
Deadline
A new rent can take effect only after at least 90 days' written notice in the prescribed form, and a tenant who disputes it must refer the dispute to the RTB before the date the new rent takes effect or within 28 days of receiving the notice, whichever is later (section 22).
What to do
- Check how often the rent can be reviewed. Under section 20, the rent cannot be reviewed more than once in any 12 months, and not at all in the first 12 months of the tenancy, whatever the lease says. For a tenancy that began on or after 1 March 2026, section 20B(2) confirms the 12-month rule. For older tenancies, section 20B(1) keeps in place the frequency rules that applied in former rent pressure zones, so check when the rent was last set and whether your tenancy was previously subject to a 24-month interval. The only exception is a substantial change in the accommodation under section 19(5A), such as a 25% extension or a major energy upgrade.
- Calculate the maximum permitted increase. Section 19(4) caps any new rent by two tests and the lower result applies: the increase cannot exceed the rise in the CSO's Consumer Price Index between the month before the previous setting and the month before the new setting, and it cannot exceed 2% of the old rent for each year since the rent was last set (pro rata for part-years). In a low-inflation year the CPI figure limits the increase; in a high-inflation year the 2% cap does. The RTB publishes a rent increase calculator and the CPI table it is required to maintain under section 19(4C); landlords should use it and keep a printout.
- Check the rent review notice. Section 22 requires a notice in the prescribed form (since 1 March 2026, the Notice of Rent Review in Part 4 of S.I. No. 68 of 2026), signed and dated by the landlord or agent, served at least 90 days before the new rent takes effect. It must state the new rent and its start date, explain how it was calculated under section 19(4) (or why the cap does not apply), state the floor area and BER of the dwelling, give the rent and RTB registration number of three comparable tenancies from the RTB's published register, and tell you that a dispute must be referred to the RTB within the time limit. A copy must also be served on the RTB within 7 days.
- Look for an exemption claim. A landlord may set a rent above the cap only in the cases listed in section 19(5), and must then serve the prescribed exemption notice on the tenant and the RTB within one month of setting the rent, with supporting information (section 19(5B)). Exemptions include a substantial change in the accommodation, and, for tenancies created on or after 1 March 2026, the first rent of a new tenancy where the dwelling was not let in the previous two years (one year for protected structures), where the previous tenant ended the tenancy, or where the previous tenancy was ended for the tenant's breach, arrears or unsuitability. Ask for the evidence: an unsupported exemption claim is a common ground of dispute.
- Know the six-year reset and the new-build rule. For a tenancy created on or after 1 March 2026 (other than student-specific accommodation), section 19(5)(aa) allows the rent to be reset to market rent after a period of at least six years during which the cap applied and was complied with. Student-specific accommodation has a three-year reset. Separately, for apartments in a complex, or purpose-built buildings, where the building control commencement notice was given on or after 10 June 2025, section 19(4)(aa) disapplies the 2% limb, so increases are capped by inflation only. A new tenant should also receive, at the start of the tenancy, the previous rent, the date it was set and three comparables (section 12(1)(i)).
- Respond to the notice or negotiate. If the increase looks lawful, plan for it from the stated date. If it looks wrong, write to the landlord within a few days setting out the problem: too frequent, above the cap, missing comparables, notice shorter than 90 days, no copy served on the RTB, or an exemption claimed without supporting evidence. Many errors are corrected by agreement. Until the effective date, keep paying the existing rent; after it, continue paying at least the existing rent if you dispute the increase. An increase that does not satisfy the notice condition in section 22 simply does not take effect.
- Refer a dispute to the RTB in time. Under section 22(3), a dispute about a rent set on review must be referred before the date the new rent is to take effect or within 28 days of receiving the notice, whichever is later. Apply online, attaching the notice, the lease and your rent record (the fee is currently €15 online or €25 on paper; check the current figure with the RTB). While the dispute is pending, section 86 provides that the rent cannot be increased unless both parties agree. The adjudicator can declare whether the rent complies with section 19 and, if not, state what rent would comply, and can direct repayment of any overpayment.
- Report improper conduct and recover overpayments. Separately from a dispute, the RTB's investigation unit can examine a complaint that a landlord set rent in breach of section 19 or failed to serve a valid notice, and can impose sanctions; since 2026, setting a rent on review without complying with the notice condition in section 22(2) is listed as improper conduct, and a landlord who ignores the RTB's follow-up notice under section 22(6) commits an offence for which a fixed payment notice may be served (section 22B). If you have already paid more than the lawful rent, a dispute referral can recover the excess. Keep bank records of every payment, because the RTB will reconstruct the rent history from them and from the register.
What to watch out for
- Assuming RPZ rules still apply. Rent pressure zones were abolished from 1 March 2026; the national cap now applies everywhere, including areas that were never RPZs, so older guidance on RPZ maps and 4% caps is out of date.
- Missing the 28-day window. If you do not refer a dispute before the new rent takes effect or within 28 days of receiving the notice, whichever is later, you will usually have to accept the new rent.
- Paying an unlawful increase without protest. Payment does not make an unlawful rent lawful, but it complicates recovery; dispute in writing and keep records.
- Landlords using an outdated form. The prescribed forms were replaced by S.I. No. 68 of 2026 from 1 March 2026; a notice in an old format or without three register comparables risks invalidity.
- Relying on an exemption without serving the exemption notice. A landlord who exceeds the cap without serving the section 19(5B) notice within one month exposes itself to RTB sanctions and repayment orders.
- Agreeing informally to a mid-year increase. Section 20 applies despite any term to the contrary, so an informal agreement to review more often is unenforceable and the increase can be recovered.
Legal basis
Frequently asked questions
How much can my landlord increase the rent in Ireland in 2026?
From 1 March 2026, the increase is capped at the lower of the rise in the Consumer Price Index and 2% a year, pro rata, since the rent was last set. The rent must also not exceed the market rent. Newly built apartments with a commencement notice from 10 June 2025 are capped by inflation only.
Do rent pressure zones still exist?
No. The RPZ designations expired on 28 February 2026 and the provisions creating them were repealed from 1 March 2026. The rent cap in section 19(4) now applies to all private tenancies nationally, subject to the exemptions in section 19(5).
How much notice of a rent increase must a landlord give?
At least 90 days, in the prescribed form, signed and dated, with the new rent, the start date, the calculation, three comparable rents from the RTB published register and the RTB dispute statement. A copy must also be served on the RTB. Without proper notice the new rent has no effect.
How often can rent be reviewed?
Not more than once every 12 months and not within the first 12 months of a tenancy, regardless of the lease. A review can be earlier only if there has been a substantial change in the accommodation as defined in section 19(5A), such as a major extension or energy upgrade.
Can a landlord reset the rent to market rate for a new tenant?
Only in the cases in section 19(5). For tenancies created from 1 March 2026, these include a dwelling not let for two years, a previous tenancy ended by the tenant, or one ended for the tenant's breach, arrears or unsuitability. The landlord must notify the tenant and the RTB within one month.
What is the six-year rent reset?
For tenancies created on or after 1 March 2026, once the rent has been capped and set in compliance with section 19(4) for at least six years, the landlord may set the rent at market level. Student-specific accommodation has a three-year reset instead.
What happens if I refer a rent dispute to the RTB?
While the dispute is pending, the rent cannot be increased unless both parties agree. An adjudicator decides whether the rent complies with section 19 and, if not, what rent would comply, and can order repayment of any overpaid rent.
How do I check the comparable rents in my notice?
Each comparable must be identified by its RTB registration number and taken from the RTB's published register. You can search the register online and check that the dwellings are of similar size, bedrooms, type, character and BER, and in a comparable area.
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