Renting in Ireland: what changed on 1 March 2026
13 October 2026
New rental rules came into force in Ireland on 1 March 2026. They change how much rent can go up, how long a tenancy lasts and when a landlord can end it. Here is what they mean if you rent a room or a home, in plain English. The Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) has the full details, and this article sticks to what it says.
Who the new rules apply to
The main changes apply to tenancies that started on or after 1 March 2026. If your tenancy started before then, the previous rules still apply to it.
They cover private rented homes and student-specific accommodation. If you rent a room in a house share where the owner doesn't live, you are usually a tenant and these rules apply to you.
If you rent a room in the owner's own home (digs or rent-a-room), you are usually a licensee rather than a tenant, and the Residential Tenancies Acts generally don't cover that arrangement. Agree the terms in writing either way.
Rent increases: one national limit
Rent Pressure Zones have been replaced by national rent control, so the same rules apply everywhere in Ireland. For most private tenancies and student-specific accommodation, rent can go up by no more than 2% a year, or by the rate of inflation if that is lower.
There are exceptions for some newly built homes, so if you are renting somewhere brand new, check the RTB's guidance for that case.
Six-year tenancies
Once you have lived somewhere for six months without a valid notice of termination, your tenancy becomes what the law calls a Tenancy of Minimum Duration. For new tenancies, this runs in six-year cycles.
During the first six months, any landlord can end the tenancy for any reason, as long as they give the correct notice.
When a landlord can end a tenancy
After the first six months, larger landlords (those with four or more tenancies, and companies) can end a tenancy only if the tenant has broken their obligations or the property no longer suits the tenant's needs.
Smaller landlords (one to three tenancies) can also end it during the six-year cycle in specific hardship situations, such as needing to sell or needing the home for a family member, and at the end of a cycle to sell, substantially refurbish or change the property's use.
Importantly, a landlord can't reset the rent to market level for the next tenant after a "no-fault" termination.
Setting the rent for a new tenancy
Resetting a property's rent to market level is now only allowed in limited situations, for example when a previous tenant left by choice or at the end of a six-year cycle. The RTB Rent Register is the reference landlords must use when setting market rent, and it is a useful way for renters to check what similar homes cost.
Deposits and advance rent
Separately, since 2022 a landlord can ask for no more than one month's rent as a deposit and no more than one month's rent in advance at the start of a tenancy. Never pay anything before you have viewed the place and met the person.
Where to check your own situation
Rental law has exceptions and details this article can't cover. The RTB (rtb.ie) explains the rules in full and handles disputes, and Threshold (threshold.ie) gives free advice to renters.