Can my landlord raise the rent or give me notice?
Notice, yes — but three months of it. Rent rises, today, only by agreement. The notice period on a flat is three months, and it starts running on the first day of the month following the month in which the notice was served. A landlord may set a longer period in writing, but a shorter one agreed in the contract is invalid — the statutory three months then applies. Under the law as it stands, a landlord cannot impose a rent increase unilaterally: it changes only by agreement, through an amendment to the contract. But change is coming: a new Civil Code is to introduce regular annual increases, capped at 20% on the previous year and never above the going local rate, applied each 1 January. It is expected to take effect from mid-2027 — until then, the current rules govern.
📋 The rules
- Notice period: three months
- It runs from the first day of the month following service
- A shorter period in the contract is invalid
- Rent rises today: only by agreement between the parties
- New Civil Code: a 20% cap, expected from mid-2027
🔓 Exceptions
- A landlord may set a longer notice period in writing, but not a shorter one
- Under the coming rules, rent may rise without a clause if the contract runs at least 3 years and does not forbid it
- A dispute over accepting an increase will be for the court
⚠️ Penalties & fines
The commonest tenant error is accepting a unilateral rent rise. Under the law as it stands, a landlord cannot raise the rent unilaterally — they need agreement, in the form of an amendment. If you do not agree, the original rent stands and the landlord's only route is notice — with its three-month period. The second error is counting that period: it does not run from the day of service but from the first day of the following month. And a shorter notice period agreed in the contract is invalid — even if you signed it, the statutory three months applies. Watch the new law: once it takes effect, the rules on increases change fundamentally.
📎 Official sources
- Slov-Lex · Civil Code (residential leases) →
- Ministry of Justice · Civil Code recodification →
- Slovak Trade Inspection →
❓ Frequently asked
How long is the notice period on a flat?
Three months. It starts running on the first day of the month following the month in which notice was served — not on the day of service itself, which is a frequent misunderstanding.
Can a landlord agree a shorter notice period?
No. A shorter notice period agreed in the contract is invalid and the statutory three months applies instead. A longer period can be set, but it must be done in writing.
Can they raise my rent unilaterally?
Under the law as it stands, no. Rent changes by agreement between the parties, through an amendment. If you do not agree, the original rent stands and the landlord's only route is to give notice.
What will the new Civil Code bring?
It is to introduce regular annual rent increases, capped at 20% on the previous year and not above the going local rate, applied each 1 January. It is expected to take effect from mid-2027.
Will rent be raisable without a clause in the contract?
Under the coming rules, yes — but only where the contract runs for at least three years and does not expressly forbid increases. A dispute over accepting the rise will be for the court.
🔎 Common searches
What people search to land here:
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