How Rent Pressure Zones (RPZs) work

What is a Rent Pressure Zone?

An RPZ is an area where rent increases are restricted to prevent sharp rent rises. In an RPZ:

• Rent can only be increased once every 12 months.
• Rents cannot be increased by more than 2% per year, or by the rate of inflation if this is lower. The rate of inflation is recorded by the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices (HICP).
• Depending on when the rent is reviewed and the HICP rate at that time, the rate of inflation may result in the allowed rent increase being below 2%, or that there is no permitted rent increase.

If my property is in an RPZ

If you own a rental property in an RPZ, you must use a notice of rent review and follow the rules on setting rent in an RPZ. You can watch our video explainer on how to set rent correctly in an RPZ.

You can use the Rent Pressure Zone Calculator to calculate the maximum rent allowed for that property.

Where are Rent Pressure Zone areas

RPZs are in parts of the country where rents are highest and rising, and where households have the greatest difficulty finding affordable accommodation.

They aim to create ​ a stable and sustainable rental market for both landlords and tenants.

A list of the RPZs are below. You can also type the address of the property, or the Eircode, into the RPZ calculator to find out if you are in an RPZ.

How areas are designated as RPZs

For an area to be designated as a Rent Pressure Zone:

• Rent increases in the area must have been more than 7% annually in at least 4 of the last 6 quarters.
• The average rent in the last quarter must be higher than the standardised average rent for that area.

Standardised average rent categories

The standardised average rent depends on the location:

1. Dublin Area: Includes the city of Dublin and the county council areas of South Dublin, Fingal and Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown. The standard average rent is calculated specifically for this area.
2. Greater Dublin Area (GDA): Includes the Dublin Area plus Kildare, Wicklow and Meath. The standardised average rent in the GDA is based on the national average rent in the country, excluding the Dublin Area.
3. Rest of the country: Covers all areas outside the GDA. The standardised average rent for this category is the national average, excluding the GDA.

Exemptions to RPZ rent caps

Some properties in RPZs are exempt from rent caps (RPZ rules) If a landlord believes they are exempt from RPZ rules they must fill in a RPZ exemption form and send it to the RTB A property is exempt if the property:

• Was not rented in the 2 years before the new tenancy start date​.
• Is a protected or proposed protected structure and was not rented for 12 months before the new tenancy start date.​
• Has undergone substantial change.

What counts as a ‘substantial change’?

There are strict rules about what ‘substantial change’ means. To qualify for an RPZ exemption, you must meet one of the requirements below:

• A permanent extension that increases the floor area by at least 25%.
• Work that improves the Building Energy Rating (BER) by at least 7 levels.
• Work that achieves three of the following:
  • The internal layout is permanently changed.
  • The dwelling is adapted for use by a person with a disability.
  • The number of rooms is permanently increased.
  • A BER of D1 or lower is improved by at least three levels.
  • A BER of C3 or higher is improved by at least two levels.

Breaching a RPZ

There are serious consequences to setting a rent incorrectly. If a tenant receives a rent review form and believes the rent increase is incorrect, they can apply for dispute resolution. If a landlord is found to have set the rent incorrectly, they can be fined up to 15,000 euro.

Current Rent Pressure Zones

See the table below for a list of current RPZ areas and their designation dates.