Can my landlord increase my rent in Ireland?
Yes, but rent increases are tightly capped across the whole country. Since 1 March 2026, a single nationwide cap limits any annual increase to the lower of inflation or 2% per year — so if inflation is 1.5% the maximum rise is 1.5%, and if inflation is 3% the cap holds it to 2%. The inflation measure is now the Irish CPI. Rent can normally be reviewed only once every 12 months, and the review notice must be served on both the tenant and the RTB on the same day, at least 90 days before the new rent starts, using the RTB's official form. The old Rent Pressure Zone labels were abolished on 28 February 2026 and replaced by this nationwide cap — coverage expanded, it didn't end. Use the RTB rent calculator to check. In short: yes, but only up to the capped amount and with proper notice.
📋 The rules
- Cap: the lower of inflation or 2% a year
- Inflation measured by the Irish CPI
- Rent reviewed once every 12 months
- Notice served on tenant and the RTB the same day
- At least 90 days' notice before the new rent
🔓 Exceptions
- New-build apartments/student accommodation: capped by CPI only, not 2%
- Rent can be re-set to market value only in defined situations
- Landlords can't re-set to market rent after a no-fault eviction
⚠️ Penalties & fines
The cap is the lower of CPI inflation or 2% a year. A review notice must reach the tenant and the RTB on the same day and 90 days before the new rent — otherwise it's invalid. A tenant who disputes an increase must refer it to the RTB before the new rent begins or within 28 days of the notice (no limit if the notice is invalid), and must keep paying the existing rent meanwhile. Breaching the rent-setting rules is an offence the RTB can sanction. Beware a myth: "Rent Pressure Zones are gone, so my landlord can charge whatever the market bears" is false — the RPZ label was abolished on 28 February 2026 but replaced by a nationwide cap (lower of inflation or 2%) covering every part of the country. To check an increase: use the RTB rent calculator and refer any invalid or excessive rise to the RTB.
📎 Official sources
- Citizens Information — rent increases in private rented housing →
- Citizens Information — changes to renting from March 2026 →
- RTB — rental law changes from 1 March 2026 →
❓ Frequently asked
How much can my landlord increase the rent?
Since 1 March 2026, a nationwide cap limits annual rent increases to the lower of general inflation or 2% per year. So if inflation is below 2%, the increase can't exceed inflation; if inflation is above 2%, the cap holds the rise to 2%. The Residential Tenancies Board provides a rent calculator to check the maximum.
How often can the rent be reviewed?
In most cases, rent can only be reviewed once every 12 months. Your landlord must give you a valid rent-review notice at least 90 days before the new rent is due to start, and from 1 March 2026 a copy of that notice must be served on the Residential Tenancies Board on the same day.
Are Rent Pressure Zones still a thing?
Not as a label. Rent Pressure Zones went nationwide in June 2025, and the RPZ designation system was then abolished on 28 February 2026. It was replaced from 1 March 2026 by a single nationwide cap — the lower of inflation or 2% — that applies everywhere, so the protection expanded rather than disappeared.
What if I think the increase is too high?
You should refer the dispute to the Residential Tenancies Board, normally before the new rent begins or within 28 days of getting the review notice. If the notice was invalid, there's no time limit. Importantly, you must keep paying your existing rent while the dispute is being decided to avoid falling into arrears.
Can the rent ever be set to the market rate?
Only in defined situations for tenancies from 1 March 2026 — for example if the tenant leaves voluntarily, breaches the tenancy, the six-year minimum-duration tenancy ends, the property wasn't let in the previous two years, or there's a substantial change such as a major energy-rating improvement. Landlords can't re-set to market rent after a no-fault eviction.
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