6 September 2025
By Valerie Ryan
valerie@TheCork.ie
Property News from TheCork.ie
Who do rent increase rules apply to?
You and your landlord agree the amount of rent you pay for a property at the start of your tenancy. Your landlord must follow certain rules if they want to raise the rent. These rules are set out in residential tenancies legislation and apply to tenancies in private rented housing and in student-specific accommodation
What is a Rent Pressure Zone?
Rent Pressure Zones (RPZs) are areas where:
- Rents are highest and rising quickly
- Annual rent increases are capped
RPZs were introduced on 24 December 2016 and were due to end on 31 December 2025. But, on 20 June 2025, the Government extended Rent Pressure Zones to all areas nationwide until 28 February 2026. This means that all areas are now covered by the rules for rent increases in Rent Pressure Zones.
What are rent increases in RPZs?
Annual rent increases in RPZs are capped in line with the rate of general inflation or 2% a year, whichever is lower.
So, if your landlord reviews the rent every 12 months and the rate of general inflation is 1.5%, then your rent can only be increased by a maximum of 1.5%. However, if the rate of general inflation is higher than 2%, for example, 3%, the rent can only be increased by a maximum of 2%.
If your landlord has not reviewed the rent for a number of years, the 2% cap applies every year.
So, for example, if you moved into rented accommodation in December 2016 and the rent hasn’t changed since then, the general inflation rate would apply when calculating the rent increase. This is because the inflation rate between December 2016 and December 2021 was 6.6%, which is lower than the 10% that would apply under the 2% per year condition (2% per year for 5 years = 10%).
The Residential Tenancies Board’s (RTB) Rent Pressure Zone calculator applies both of these conditions and calculates the allowable rent increase for you. You will find the calculator on www.rtb.ie under the compliance section.
The Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Act 2025 brought these initial changes in from 20 June 2025.
What are the proposed changes from 1 March 2026?
A number of changes are not due to apply until 1 March 2026 and need legislation bring them in. These proposals include that:
- Rent controls will apply to tenancies nationwide
- Rent increases will be linked to inflation, with a 2% cap on increases in times of high inflation. However, this 2% cap will not apply to rent increases in newly-built apartments.
- Large landlords will be banned from ending tenancies with ‘no fault’ evictions. Large landlords are landlords with 4 of more tenancies.
- Small landlords with 3 tenancies or less will have minimum 6-year rolling tenancies. During the 6 years, they can only end a tenancy for very limited reasons, such as homelessness. At the end of each 6-year period these landlords can end a tenancy for more reasons, such as selling the property.
- All landlords will be able to reset the rent to market value after 6 years unless there is a no-fault eviction.
Landlords will continue to be allowed to:
- Sell their rented property with the tenant in place
- End a tenancy, if a tenant has broken their tenant responsibilities
Who can request a Rent review?
A tenant or a landlord can request a rent review. A rent review can result in an increase or reduction in the rent. Rent increases in Rent Pressure Zones are capped and there are limits on how often the rent can be reviewed. There are different rules about the limits and frequency of rent reviews depending on if the tenancy is an existing or new tenancy. You can contact your local CIC for more information.
If a landlord wants to get an exemption from rent limits in an RPZ area, they must notify the RTB within 1 month of setting the rent by completing the RTB’s RPZ Exemption Form .
The RTB can investigate and sanction landlords who do not comply with RPZ rules. There are penalties for landlords who do not follow rent increase limits in RPZs, provide false information about an exemption in an RPZ area or do not notify the RTB about using an exemption.
You can use the RTB’s calculator to work out if your rent can be raised and by how much. You will need to enter your address or Eircode, the current rent and the date when the rent was last set.
There is no fee for updating this information with the RTB. The RTB’s website has more information about updating your tenancy details.
As a tenant, you can ask your landlord to review the rent if:
- You think it is more than the current market rate for the property or
- You want a new review and more than 24 months have passed
What are my options is my landlord is raising the rent?
Threshold has detailed advice on how to deal with rent increases. You can contact Threshold for advice on your particular situation.
If there is any dispute about the amount of rent being proposed, either side can refer the dispute to the RTB.
If your landlord has given you a valid written notice of the rent increase, you must contact the RTB with your dispute before the date that the new rent begins or within 28 days of getting the notice, whichever is later. There is no time limit if the notice is not valid.
You must continue to pay your rent until the case has been determined by the RTB.
Further information on this and other topics is available from Cork City Centre CIC in Cornmarket Street, open to the public on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 9.45am to 12.30pm and Wednesdays from 2pm to 4pm, Tel 0818 07 6950 (Lines open Mon-Fri 10am-4.30pm). Blackpool CIC is also open to the public on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10am to 1pm and 2pm to 4pm, Tel 0818 07 6890 while Hollyhill CIC is open Mondays and Fridays from 10am to 1pm and 2pm to 4pm, Tel: 0818 07 6850.
Information is also available from the Citizens Information Phone Service Tel: 0818 07 4000 (9am – 8pm, Mon – Fri) or online at www.citizensinformation.ie