Chapter 1 of 10 · Starting a tenancy · 9 of 9
The rent-setting statement from March 2026
At the start of a 2026 tenancy the landlord must tell you and the RTB the previous rent, when it was set and three comparable rents. What to do with it.
Checked 27 OCT 2026 · 4 sourcesWritten in plain English for the person paying the rent. This guide covers the Republic of Ireland only.
Since 1 March 2026 a landlord who lets a dwelling must give the new tenant, and the RTB, a rent-setting statement. It states the rent last paid for the dwelling, the date that rent was set, and three comparable tenancies from the RTB's Rent Register. The duty is in s.12(1)(i) of the Residential Tenancies Act as substituted by the 2026 Act, and it applies to every tenancy that begins on or after that date.
The statement exists because the rent for a new tenancy is capped. Since 1 March 2026 a new rent can be no more than the previous rent plus 2% or the annual change in the CPI, whichever is lower, and never above market rent. Only a short list of reset rules lifts that cap. Without the previous rent you cannot check the cap; the statement puts it in your hand. The rent increase checker does the arithmetic once you have the figure.
This guide covers the Republic of Ireland only. The RTB publishes the form itself; this guide explains it and does not reproduce it.
What the statement must contain
| Item | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| The previous rent | The rent last paid for the dwelling under the previous tenancy |
| The date it was set | When that rent was set or last reviewed, which starts the 12-month clock |
| Three comparable tenancies | Registered tenancies of similar dwellings in a comparable area, begun within the last three months, from the Rent Register |
If the rent asked is above the previous rent plus 2% or CPI, ask the landlord in writing which reset rule they rely on. The statement itself does not have to say, but a landlord who has one can name it. The three comparables serve the "never above market rent" rule. They are meant to show that the rent asked is in line with what similar homes let for. They do not lift the cap: a rent that is in line with the comparables but more than the previous rent plus 2% or CPI is still over the cap unless a reset applies.
The same three-comparable rule applies to a rent review during the tenancy, with the RTB calculator printout and 90 days' notice. The rent review notice covers that.
When the rent can be reset to market
The cap on a new rent has exceptions. If the rent is above the capped figure, one of them must apply, and you are entitled to ask which.
For a dwelling that was let before, a landlord may set the new rent at market only in three cases. The previous tenancy ended by the tenant's own choice, by the tenant's breach, or because the dwelling no longer suited the household. A landlord may not reset after a no-fault termination, including one in the first six months, for two years. A dwelling that has not been let for two years, or one year for a protected structure, may be let at market. A tenancy that began on or after 1 March 2026 may also be reset at the end of each six-year cycle.
A dwelling that has never been let has no previous rent, and the first rent is set at market with the comparables showing that. Newly built apartments and new student-specific accommodation with a commencement notice lodged on or after 10 June 2025 follow CPI alone, with no 2% ceiling. When rent can be reset to market goes through each rule.
Before and from 1 March 2026
| Tenancy began | The rule at the start |
|---|---|
| Before 1 March 2026, in a Rent Pressure Zone | The landlord had to give a written statement of the previous rent and the RPZ calculation; the rent was capped at the RPZ rate |
| Before 1 March 2026, outside an RPZ | No statement; the rent was whatever was agreed, subject to market rent |
| On or after 1 March 2026, anywhere | The rent-setting statement to the tenant and the RTB; the national cap of 2% or CPI, with the reset rules |
Rent Pressure Zones ended on 1 March 2026. A tenancy that began before that date keeps whatever rent it had and is reviewed under the national cap; it is never reset to market while it lasts. The statement rule is for tenancies from that date. Rent Pressure Zones: what replaced them covers the change.
What to do with the statement
Read the previous rent and the date against the rent you are being asked to pay. Put both into the rent increase checker, which applies the 2% or CPI figure for the month and shows the most the new rent can be. The CPI figure for September 2026 is 4.1%, published on 8 October 2026, so the 2% arm applies; the RTB's own calculator is the official figure, and the checker links it.
Check the comparables on the Rent Register. They should be similar in size, type and standard, in a comparable area, and begun within the last three months. Three city-centre two-beds offered as comparables for a one-bed in a town are not comparables.
If the rent is within the cap, or a reset lawfully applies, the statement has done its job. Keep it with the lease; it fixes the date from which the next review can be no sooner than 12 months. Put the figure and the date into your tenancy file.
If the rent is over the cap, or there is no statement
If the rent is above the previous rent plus 2% or CPI and no reset applies, the landlord has set the rent in breach of the Act. You can refer a dispute to the RTB. The RTB can order rent paid over the cap repaid, with damages of up to €20,000. Since 14 September 2026 a rent breach also carries a fixed payment notice of €200, and a failure to give the rent information carries €100. Mediation is free; adjudication costs €30, and since 14 September 2026 the hearing is public and the report names both parties. Keep paying the agreed rent while the dispute runs; do not pay less on your own calculation.
If you received no statement, ask the landlord in writing for it and keep the request. The letter builder has a confirm-in-writing letter you can adapt. A landlord who has not given the statement is in breach of s.12, and the RTB can hear that as a dispute on its own. The absence of the statement does not cap the rent at zero or make the tenancy unlawful; it is the landlord's breach, and the information is still obtainable from the RTB and the Rent Register.
The time limit for a rent dispute of this kind is the general one, six years, rather than the 28 days that apply to challenging a rent review notice. Sooner is better, because the rent paid over the cap grows every month.
Where this leaves you
From 1 March 2026 every new tenancy starts with a statement from the landlord of the previous rent, when it was set, and three comparables, with a copy to the RTB. The statement is how you check that the rent you were offered is within 2% or CPI of the previous rent, or that a reset lawfully applies. Run the figures through the rent increase checker, check the comparables on the Rent Register, and keep the statement with the lease. If the rent is over the cap, or no statement came, write first and refer a dispute if nothing changes, paying the agreed rent throughout. Threshold on 1800 454 454 will go through the statement with you for free.
Questions people ask
What is the RTB notice of rent setting?
It is the statement a landlord must give a new tenant and the RTB at the start of a tenancy that begins on or after 1 March 2026. It states the rent last paid for the dwelling, the date it was set, and three comparable tenancies from the RTB's Rent Register. The RTB publishes the form on its site; this guide explains it and does not reproduce it.
Is there a rent setting form I have to sign?
No. The statement is the landlord's document and the landlord's duty. You are given a copy, and the RTB is given one. You do not sign it, and you do not lose anything by not having received it; the duty to provide it stays with the landlord.
What if the new rent is higher than the previous rent plus 2%?
A rent for a new tenancy can be no more than the previous rent plus 2% or CPI, whichever is lower, unless one of the reset rules applies. If none applies and the rent is higher, you can refer a dispute to the RTB, which can order rent paid over the cap repaid with damages of up to €20,000. Keep paying the agreed rent while the dispute runs.
My tenancy began before March 2026. Should I have got a statement?
Not in this form. The rent-setting statement was introduced on 1 March 2026 for tenancies beginning from that date. Before that, a landlord letting in a Rent Pressure Zone had to give a written statement of the previous rent and the calculation. Outside an RPZ there was no statement.
Where do the three comparables come from?
From the RTB's Rent Register, which holds the rents of registered tenancies. The comparables must be dwellings of a similar size, type and standard in a comparable area, with tenancies that began within the last three months. They show that the rent is not above market rent; they do not lift the cap.