How to raise the rent legally: cap, notice and timing
Since 1 March 2026, almost every private tenancy in Ireland sits under nationwide rent control. Raising the rent on a sitting tenant is really three questions: how much the cap allows, when a review is allowed, and the written notice that makes the increase stick. This guide takes them in order.
If you only need the number, the rent increase calculator works it out in seconds. The timing and notice rules around it are below.
Last reviewed July 2026, for rent reviews under the rules in force from 1 March 2026.
The cap: how much a review can add
Since 1 March 2026, Rent Pressure Zones have been replaced by nationwide rent control. For a standard tenancy, the most a review can add is the lower of inflation (CPI) or the 2% statutory ceiling, pro-rated over the whole months since the rent was last set. Pro-rating is the part people flatten into one number, and it is not one number: if 17 months have passed, the annual cap is applied across all 17 of them, so a longer wait between reviews allows a larger increase.
CPI was 3.4% in the year to June 2026 (CSO). That is at or above 2%, so right now the 2% ceiling is the cap that applies.
Say the rent is €2,000 and it was last set 17 months ago. The cap allows up to €2,056.67, an extra €56.67 a month: 2% a year, pro-rated over 17 months.
At the standard annual review, 12 months on, the pro-rating changes nothing: the annual rate applies once. Run your own rent and dates through the rent increase calculator before you draft anything.
Rules current as of 21 July 2026. The CPI figure is the CSO release for June 2026.
Timing: once every 12 months
A rent review can happen once every 12 months at most, counted from the date the rent was last set. One exception bends that calendar: if the property only came under rent control in the last two years, the first review may not be due until 24 months after the rent was last set.
Separate from the review calendar is the tenancy cycle. A tenancy that started on or after 1 March 2026 runs in 6-year cycles, and the rent can be reset to the market rate when a cycle ends (more on resets below). A tenancy from before 1 March 2026 cannot be reset while it continues: the cap governs it for as long as it runs.
The notice: 90 days, in writing, copied to the RTB
A rent increase only takes effect if the notice is valid. The Notice of Rent Review must be in writing, served on the tenant and sent to the RTB on the same day, and it must give at least 90 days before the new rent starts. A notice that misses any of that is invalid, and the increase falls with it.
What the notice must contain
- The new rent and the date it takes effect.
- The rent currently charged and the date it was last set.
- A printout from the official RTB rent calculator showing the increase is within the cap.
- Three comparable rents from the RTB Rent Register for similar nearby properties.
Once the new rent is being charged, update the tenancy's RTB registration details within 1 month.
The full requirements are set out in the RTB guide to rent review notices.
Market rent resets: the defined cases
The cap governs a tenancy for as long as it runs. A reset to the open-market rent opens up only in cases the RTB defines, all of them around a tenancy genuinely turning over or starting fresh:
- the tenant leaves of their own accord, or the tenancy ends because the tenant breached their obligations or because the home no longer meets their needs,
- the property had no tenancy for at least two years (one year for a protected structure), or it is the property's first-ever letting,
- the last tenancy ended for a substantial renovation and the home is offered back to the previous tenant,
- or a 6-year cycle ends, for tenancies that started on or after 1 March 2026.
A no-fault termination is none of these. End a tenancy because you are selling, moving a family member in, or changing what the property is used for, and the cap carries over to the next letting: there is no reset. When you do reset, the new rent must be backed by three comparable rents from the RTB Rent Register.
When a genuine turnover does come round, pitch the new rent against real data rather than headlines. Our Dublin rents, Q1 2026 breakdown separates asking rents from what registered tenancies actually pay.
Where these rules do not apply
- Newly built apartments and purpose-built student accommodation first let from 10 June 2025 are exempt from the 2% ceiling: their reviews can rise by the full rate of inflation.
- Approved housing body and cost-rental tenancies sit outside this framework entirely, under their own rules.
If an exemption might apply to your property, confirm it against the RTB guidance linked below before relying on it.
Sources
Every rule on this page is drawn from the Residential Tenancies Board's guidance, checked against the live pages in July 2026.
Common questions
How much can I raise the rent by?
At a review, the most you can add is the lower of CPI inflation or the 2% ceiling, pro-rated over the whole months since the rent was last set. CPI was 3.4% in the year to June 2026 (CSO). That is at or above 2%, so right now the 2% ceiling is the cap that applies.
How often can I review the rent?
Once every 12 months at most, counted from the date the rent was last set. If the property only came under rent control in the last two years, the first review may not be due until 24 months after the rent was last set.
How much notice does a rent increase need?
At least 90 days before the new rent takes effect, in writing, as a Notice of Rent Review. The tenant is served and the RTB is sent a copy on the same day. The notice states the new rent, the rent currently charged and the date it was last set, and it must be accompanied by a printout from the official RTB rent calculator and three comparable rents from the RTB Rent Register.
Can I ever reset the rent to the market rate?
In a defined set of cases: the tenant leaves of their own accord, the tenancy ends for breach or because the home no longer meets the tenant's needs, the property was unlet for at least two years (one year for a protected structure) or is being let for the first time, the last tenancy ended for a substantial renovation and the home is offered back to the previous tenant, or a 6-year cycle ends for a tenancy that started on or after 1 March 2026. There is no reset after a no-fault termination, such as a sale or a family move-in, and a tenancy from before 1 March 2026 cannot be reset while it continues.
What happens if the notice is wrong?
An invalid notice has no effect: the tenant keeps paying the old rent and you serve a corrected notice, then wait the 90 days again. A tenant can also refer a disputed increase to the RTB, which checks it against the cap and the notice rules.
Do these rules apply to every rental?
To almost every private tenancy. The exceptions: newly built apartments and purpose-built student accommodation first let from 10 June 2025 are capped at inflation alone, and approved housing body and cost-rental tenancies sit outside this framework entirely.
The notice is the easy part. The tenant is the decision.
An increase only pays off while a good tenant stays and pays. RightTenantry reads every application, cross-checks the income against the job, the references against each other and the dates against the story, and ranks your shortlist fairly, never on a protected ground.
This is general information for Irish landlords, not legal or financial advice. The rules change, so check the current position with the RTB before you act.