New Landlord Rules Ireland: rent reviews, market rent, and ending a tenancy from 1 March 2026

Major rental law changes took effect in Ireland on 1 March 2026. For landlords and agents, the biggest practical shift is not just the headline policy changes. It is the new paperwork discipline around rent notices, rent review notices, and termination notices.

The RTB’s updated guidance makes the direction of travel clear: notices now need stronger evidence, the RTB’s own tools are central to the process, and in many cases the notice must be sent to the tenant and the RTB on the same day or it can be invalid.

This guide brings the main operational changes together in one place. It focuses on the rules landlords are most likely to need in practice: rent reviews, market rent, and ending a tenancy. Where the RTB distinguishes between tenancy start dates, that difference matters and is flagged below.

Quick answer

From 1 March 2026, the RTB says Ireland moved from the RPZ model to a national system of rent control. For most private tenancies, annual rent increases are limited to the lower of 2% or CPI inflation, and landlords are expected to use the RTB Rent Calculator and RTB Rent Register when setting or reviewing rent.

For new tenancies created from 1 March 2026, the RTB also introduced a rolling 6-year Tenancy of Minimum Duration (TMD). After the tenant has lived in the property for six continuous months without being served a valid termination notice, stronger restrictions apply to when the landlord can end the tenancy.

The process rule is as important as the substantive rule. RTB guidance says:

a rent review notice must be sent to the tenant and the RTB on the same day
a Notice of Rent Setting at the start of a tenancy must also go to the tenant and the RTB
a Notice of Termination must be sent to the tenant and the RTB on the same day
in rent arrears cases, the warning notice must also go to the tenant and the RTB on the same day

If you are already working through the detail, these two related guides may also help:

What changed on 1 March 2026 and who it applies to

The RTB and Department of Housing guidance confirm that the new reforms commenced on 1 March 2026.

Two separate points matter here:

Rent Pressure Zones were replaced by a national rent control system.
The strongest new tenancy-protection rules, including the rolling 6-year TMD, apply to new tenancies created from 1 March 2026.

That means landlords should avoid treating all tenancies the same. RTB guidance now repeatedly distinguishes between:

tenancies created before 1 March 2026
tenancies created from 1 March 2026

That distinction affects:

when market rent can be used
whether a 6-year TMD applies
whether landlord size matters for termination grounds
whether certain no-fault termination routes are still available

National rent control and rent reviews

From 1 March 2026, the RTB says the RPZ system is replaced by a national system of rent control for private tenancies and student-specific accommodation.

For most private tenancies, the practical annual rent review rules are:

rent reviews are generally allowed once every 12 months
the increase is capped at the lower of 2% or CPI
landlords should use the RTB Rent Calculator
the rent review notice must be sent to the tenant and the RTB on the same day
the notice should be served at least 90 days before the new rent takes effect

The RTB also expects a supporting statement with the notice. That statement should include:

the last rent amount
the date the last rent was set
a printout from the RTB Rent Calculator
details of 3 comparable properties from the RTB Rent Register

Two exceptions matter in practice.

Exception 1: some tenancies in newly added RPZ areas had a delayed first review

The RTB says there is a transitional rule for certain tenancies in areas that only became RPZs in the final period before the 1 March 2026 change. In those cases, the first review may be delayed until 24 months after the rent was last set or reviewed.

Exception 2: qualifying developments can follow CPI without the 2% cap

For certain new apartment developments and new student-specific accommodation where qualifying work commenced on or after 10 June 2025, the RTB says rent can increase in line with CPI only, without the separate 2% cap.

In practice, landlords should be ready to support this with the relevant commencement notice or 7-day notice under building control rules if queried.

Market rent and the RTB Rent Register

Market rent still means the rent a willing tenant would reasonably pay for a comparable property. The major change is that RTB guidance now places much more weight on proof, not just broad market instinct.

For new tenancies created from 1 March 2026, RTB guidance says a landlord can set or re-set rent to market rent only in specific circumstances.

When market rent is allowed

For a new tenancy created from 1 March 2026, RTB guidance says market rent can be used:

at the start of a new tenancy in permitted circumstances
at the end of each 6-year TMD cycle

The RTB’s general March 2026 guidance explains that setting to market rent is allowed for a new tenancy where the last tenancy ended because:

the tenant left by choice
the tenant breached their obligations
the dwelling no longer suited the tenant’s needs

When market rent is not allowed

The RTB is equally clear on the guardrail: for a tenancy created from 1 March 2026, you cannot re-set to market rent after a no-fault eviction by the landlord.

That includes cases where the landlord ended the tenancy:

during the first six months for a no-fault reason
or on another no-fault ground that does not fall within the RTB’s permitted market-rent reset scenarios

The evidence rule

Where you are setting or reviewing rent at market level, RTB guidance says you must use the RTB Rent Register and provide:

3 comparable registered rents
the associated registered tenancy numbers
a printout showing the comparison basis

The RTB also expects you to use the correct RTB notice template and send it to the tenant and the RTB with the required statement.

Ending a tenancy: new limits and new paperwork

If you are ending a tenancy, the RTB’s current guidance says you must:

provide a written Notice of Termination
give the correct notice period
make sure the notice meets the legal requirements
send a copy of the notice to the RTB on the same day you send it to the tenant

For tenancies created from 1 March 2026, the allowed grounds depend heavily on:

the tenancy start date
whether the landlord is a small landlord or a large landlord

First six months

The RTB says all landlords can end a tenancy within the first six months for any reason. But from 1 March 2026, they must still serve a valid Notice of Termination and copy it to the RTB on the same day.

That point matters later for rent-setting as well, because a no-fault termination in the first six months can affect whether market rent can be used for the next tenancy.

After six months: 6-year TMD protections

Once a tenant in a new tenancy has lived in the property for six continuous months without being served a valid termination notice, the tenancy moves into a rolling 6-year TMD.

From that point:

all landlords can still end the tenancy for tenant breach or where the property no longer suits the tenant’s needs
small landlords with 1 to 3 tenancies on the day notice is served have some additional limited no-fault grounds during the 6-year cycle, such as:
- selling to avoid undue financial or other hardship
- occupation by the landlord or a close family member
large landlords with 4 or more tenancies, and company landlords, do not have those additional grounds during the cycle and are generally expected to sell with the tenant in place where sale is the issue

At the end of the 6-year cycle, the RTB says small landlords can use broader grounds, but the timing rule matters: the notice must be served before the cycle ends, and the termination date on the notice must fall on or after the end of the cycle.

Rent arrears warning process

For rent arrears, the RTB requires a specific sequence:

Send a rent arrears warning notice to the tenant
Send a copy of that warning notice to the RTB on the same day
Give the tenant at least 28 days to clear the arrears
If the arrears remain unpaid, serve a Notice of Termination giving 28 days’ notice

The RTB’s guidance treats this as a formal process, not a casual reminder sequence.

Compliance checklist

Area	Do this	Keep this
Rent setting or rent review	Use RTB templates, attach Rent Calculator printout, include 3 Rent Register examples, send to tenant and RTB on time	Notice, statement, printouts, proof of service, RTB receipt
Market rent	Confirm market rent is allowed, then prove it with the Rent Register and serve the required statement	Register printout with 3 examples, note of permitted scenario
Termination	Confirm ground is valid for tenancy start date and landlord size, use RTB template and declarations, send to tenant and RTB same day	Declaration and supports, proof of service, RTB receipt, arrears warning notice if relevant

Three practical tips

Build one PDF pack each time: notice, statement, printouts, proof of service, and RTB receipt.
Treat RTB submission as part of serving the notice, not as admin you can tidy up afterwards.
Check landlord size and tenancy start date before choosing a termination ground. Those two facts change the answer more often than landlords expect.

Short FAQ

Does this apply to existing tenancies?

Not in the same way. RTB guidance distinguishes between tenancies created before 1 March 2026 and those created from 1 March 2026. The rolling 6-year TMD and landlord-size termination rules apply to new tenancies from that date, while the RTB’s updated rent-setting and notice rules also need to be checked against the tenancy start date.

What if I forget to send the notice to the RTB?

RTB guidance says a rent review notice can be invalid if it is not sent to the RTB as required. The RTB also says a Notice of Termination must be copied to the RTB on the same day it is sent to the tenant.

Do I have to use the RTB tools?

In practice, yes. RTB guidance expects landlords to use the RTB Rent Calculator and RTB Rent Register as part of the evidence for rent setting and rent review notices from 1 March 2026.

New Landlord Rules Ireland: a landlord and property manager guide from 1 March 2026