New Rental Laws in Ireland 2026: Everything You Need to Know

What Changed on 1 March 2026?

On 1 March 2026, the Residential Tenancies (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2026 came into force. It's the biggest shake-up to Irish rental law in over a decade.

There are four main changes: a new minimum tenancy duration, stricter rent caps, stronger eviction protections, and updated rules for setting market rent. Whether you're a tenant or a landlord, these affect you. Use our free rent increase checker to see how the new rules apply to your situation.

Tenancies of Minimum Duration (TMD)

This is the headline change. Under the new Tenancy of Minimum Duration (TMD) rules, every new tenancy created from 1 March 2026 onwards has a minimum duration of 6 years. Gone is the old Part 4 system where security of tenure only kicked in after 6 months.

What does that look like in practice?

• Every new tenancy automatically becomes a TMD from day one.
• You get security of tenure for the full 6 years — no probationary period.
• After 6 years, the tenancy renews automatically for another 6 unless it's validly ended.
• Tenants can still leave at any time by giving the correct notice.

Not sure how much notice you need to give? Our free notice period calculator works it out instantly.

Rent Caps: The 2% Rule

Rent increases within a TMD are now capped at 2% per year, or the rate of inflation (HICP), whichever is lower. Previously, the 2% cap only applied inside Rent Pressure Zones. Now it's nationwide.

Key things to know:

• The 2% cap applies everywhere, not just in RPZs.
• Landlords still need to give 90 days' written notice of any increase.
• Only one rent increase per 12-month period is allowed.
• The notice must state the new rent, the effective date, and how it was calculated.

Think your rent increase might be over the limit? Check it now with our free tool. Takes less than a minute.

Stronger Protection from No-Fault Evictions

This is where things get really significant. The 2026 Act tightens the rules around no-fault evictions:

• Landlords cannot end a tenancy just to raise the rent to market levels.
• "Sale of property" evictions now require the landlord to offer the tenant first refusal.
• "Own use" or family member evictions need stricter proof, including a statutory declaration.
• Penalties for unlawful evictions have been ramped up — fines of up to €50,000 and potential criminal prosecution.

If you think you're facing an unfair eviction, have a look at our Know Your Rights guide for step-by-step advice.

Setting Market Rent for New Tenancies

Landlords can still set the initial rent at market rate when a new tenancy begins. But the 2026 Act adds new requirements:

• You need to provide evidence of comparable rents in the area to justify your asking price.
• That evidence must be based on at least three comparable properties from the RTB's rent register or another recognised database.
• Tenants can challenge the initial rent with the RTB within the first 6 months if they believe it's above market rate.

The goal is transparency — the market still works for new lettings, but landlords need to show their workings.

What About Existing Tenancies?

Important detail: the TMD rules only apply to new tenancies created on or after 1 March 2026. If your tenancy started before that, it continues under the existing Part 4 / Part 4+ framework.

That said, some of the new protections do cover existing tenancies:

• The nationwide 2% rent cap applies to all tenancies, not just new ones.
• The stronger eviction protections apply across the board.
• Existing Part 4 tenancies will move to the TMD system when they next renew.

Not sure where you stand? Our Know Your Rights guide walks you through it based on your tenancy start date.

What Should You Do Now?

Whether you're a tenant or a landlord, here's what we recommend: