Setting and reviewing SSA rents

National rent control rules

From 1 March 2026, a new national system of rent control applies to all private tenancies and Student Specific Accommodation (SSA). Under this system:

Rent can only be increased once per year by 2% or the rate of inflation, whichever is lower. The rate of inflation is measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI).
Re-setting to market rent is allowed once every 3 years for SSA tenancies. Re-setting to market rent is not allowed before 1 March 2029 or between SSA tenancies or licenses outside of this three-year cycle.

Exception:

There is an important exception to national rent control rules for new SSA properties commenced from 10 June 2025:

Annual increases for new apartments and SSA: The 2% cap on annual rent increases does not apply to newly built apartments and student specific accommodation that commenced from 10 June 2025. In these cases, rent can be increased by the rate of inflation (CPI), even if this is higher than 2%. Read about how a property can qualify for this exception.

Setting rent for a new SSA tenancy

Step 1: Check rent control rules

When setting rent for a new tenancy – first check if rent increase restrictions apply or if setting to market rent is allowed for this tenancy.

When is setting to market rent not allowed?

SSA landlords will not be able to re-set to market rent until 1 March 2029 for properties where there has been an existing SSA tenancy within the last two years.

From 1 March 2029, SSA landlords starting a new tenancy or license still cannot set the rent at market rent if:

– There was a tenancy in the property within the last 2 years

and

– That tenancy ended because the landlord:
- – Intended to sell
- – Needed the property for themselves or a family member
- – Planned substantial renovation
- – Planned to change the use of the property

These are sometimes called ‘no fault terminations.’ Re-setting to market rent is not allowed when the last tenancy ended due to no fault of the tenant.

When is setting to market rent allowed?

SSA landlords starting a new tenancy from 1 March 2026 can set the rent at market rent if:

– It is a first-time tenancy in the property.
– There was no tenancy in the property for at least 2 years.
– The property is a protected structure and there was no tenancy in the property for at least 1 year.
– The last tenancy ended for substantial renovation and the landlord has offered it back to the previous tenant. The property must have undergone ‘substantial change.’

SSA landlords will not be able to re-set to market rent until 1 March 2029 for properties where there has been an existing SSA tenancy within the last two years.

From 1 March 2029, SSA landlords will be able to re-set to market rent once every 3 years.

Step 2: Follow the correct rent-setting pathway

If re-setting to market rent is not allowed

You can only increase rent by the amount allowed under national rent control rules. This means you can only increase rent by 2% or the rate of inflation each year, whichever is lower. Inflation is measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI)

You should use the RTB Rent Calculator to calculate the maximum rent increase allowed.

You must also provide details of rent paid for 3 properties from the RTB Rent Register to confirm that the new rent is not above market rent.

You must send a rent setting notice to your tenant and the RTB on the same day. If you do not send it to the RTB, the rent setting notice is invalid.

You must send a statement with your rent setting notice that includes:
- – The last rent amount
- – The date the last rent was set
- – A printout from the RTB Rent Calculator showing how you calculated the new rent

If re-setting to market rent is allowed

– You can use the RTB Rent Register to set rent at market rent for a new tenancy.

– You must send a rent setting notice to your tenant and the RTB on the same day. If you do not send it to the RTB, the rent setting notice is invalid.

– You must send a statement with your rent setting notice that the rent is not above market rent. To prove this, it must include details of most recent rent paid for three tenancies in similar properties from the RTB Rent Register.

– Your three examples must be for properties of a similar size, type and character (including BER).

Reviewing rent for a SSA tenancy

Summary of rent increases allowed in SSA

	Annual increases allowed	Re-setting to market rent
SSA tenancy started before 1 March 2026	Every 12 months 2% or rate of inflation (CPI), whichever is lower	Not allowed until 1 March 2029 Allowed once every 3-years from 1 March 2029
SSA tenancy started after 1 March 2026	Every 12 months 2% or rate of inflation (CPI), whichever is lower	Not allowed at start of every new tenancy Re-set only allowed once every 3 years First re-set allowed from 1 March 2029
New SSA where construction commenced after 10 June 2025	Every 12 months In line with rate of inflation (CPI). No 2% cap applies.	Allowed once every 3 years

Reviewing rent for a SSA tenancy

Annual increases allowed

Rent reviews are allowed once every 12 months.
You can only increase rent by 2% or the rate of inflation each year, whichever is lower. Inflation is measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI).
You should use the RTB Rent Calculator to calculate the maximum rent increase allowed.
You must send a rent review notice to your tenant and the RTB on the same day. If you do not send it to the RTB, the rent review notice is invalid.

You must send a statement with your rent review notice that includes:
- The last rent amount
- The date the last rent was set
- A printout from the RTB Rent Calculator showing how you calculated the new rent.
- Details of 3 comparable properties from the RTB Rent Register
Learn more about how to do a rent review correctly.

Exception:

In areas that became a Rent Pressure Zone (RPZ) in the last 2 years, the rent cannot be reviewed until 24 months after the date the rent was last set or reviewed for the tenancy. After the first review, rent can then be reviewed once every 12 months.

Re-setting to market rent

SSA landlords will not be able to re-set to market rent until 1 March 2029.

From 1 March 2029, SSA landlords will be able to re-set to market rent once every 3 years for a tenancy in the same property.

New SSA where construction commenced after 10 June 2025

Annual increases allowed

Rent reviews allowed every 12 months.
You can increase rent in line with inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI). There is no 2% cap in times of high inflation.
You should use the RTB Rent Calculator to calculate the maximum rent increase allowed.
You must send a rent review notice to your tenant and the RTB on the same day. If you do not send it to the RTB, the rent review notice is invalid.
You must send a statement with your rent review notice that includes:
- The last rent amount
- The date the last rent was set
- A printout from the RTB Rent Calculator showing how you calculated the new rent.
- Details of 3 comparable properties from the RTB Rent Register

When does an inflation-only rent cap apply?

To increase rent in line with inflation only (with no 2% cap), the tenancy must be in a property where work commenced on or after 10 June 2025 to:

Build a new apartment complex or student-specific accommodation.
Extend the apartment complex to increase the floor area by at least 25% of its original floor area.
Change the building use to create a new apartment complex or building that occupies at least 25% of the floorspace of the previous building.

In all cases, the landlord must have a commencement notice, or a 7-day notice under the Building Control Act 1990 that was submitted to a building authority on or after 10 June 2025.

Re-setting to market rent every 3 years

From 1 March 2029, SSA landlords can re-set to market rent once every 3 years. There will be no rent re-set to market rent in SSA tenancies until 1 March 2029 at the earliest.
You must use the RTB Rent Register to set rent at market rent for the tenancy.
You must send a rent review notice to your tenant and the RTB on the same day. If you do not send it to the RTB, the rent review notice is invalid.
You must send a statement with your rent review notice that the rent is not above market rent. To prove this, it must include details of rent paid for three tenancies in similar properties from the RTB Rent Register.
Your three examples must be for properties of a similar size, type and character (including BER).

What is market rent?

Market rent is the amount a tenant would reasonably pay a landlord for a similar home in a comparable area at the time the tenancy begins. From 1 March 2026, if you say you are setting or resetting rent to market rent, you must be able to show that:

The rent is not higher than rents for comparable properties in the area, and
The rent reflects current local market conditions.

You do this by using the RTB Rent Register and by providing a statement with details of Registered Tenancy numbers for the three comparable properties you used.

Claiming an exemption from rent control rules

SSA landlords can claim an exemption from national rent control rules and can set the rent at market rent if:

There was no tenancy in the property for at least 2 years (or 1 year for a protected structure).
The last tenancy ended for substantial renovation and the landlord has offered it back to the previous tenant. The property must have undergone ‘substantial change’.
It is the end of a 3-year cycle for a student specific accommodation tenancy after 1 March 2029.

If a landlord wants to claim an exemption, they must complete Part D of the rent setting or rent review notice.

What counts as ‘substantial change’

There are strict rules about what ‘substantial change’ means. To claim an exemption from rent control rules, 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.

Important notes about exemptions

If you claim an exemption, it only applies to the first rent setting or rent review after you claim it. It does not permanently exclude the property from national rent control rules.