Increasing Rents Outside a RPZ

Issuing a Rent Review outside a Rent Pressure Zone is far less complicated than issuing one where RPZ rules are applied

All landlords serving a Notice of Rent Review  must fill in Part A to Part E of the Rent Review form found here.

Step 1. Comparables

You need to be able to provide 3 comparable properties along with this calculation to show that you’re not charging above market rent and with so few properties on the market this can be a major challenge even for us as agents.

Choosing Comparables

Firstly the property needs to have been advertised for let in the 28 days preceding the rent review  or currently on the market for rent.

The property needs to be of a  similar size, type and character,( a two bed apartment is not comparable to a one bed, a house is not comparable to an apartment)

The area needs to be comparable, ideally in the same area but not necessary . a 3 bed property in one rural town can be compared with a 3 bed property in another rural town.

Step 2. Date & Delivery

Right that’s you ready to send! How much notice to I need to give from today? 90, Right? Wrong, see that 90 days, make him somewhere between 92 and 95, most reviews are deemed invalid on this little catch.

Lastly don’t forget to record that it was sent, you don’t have to prove that it was delivered but just that it was sent. Post it yourself, take a photo of it going in the letter box or sent by An Post with recorded delivery (Express Post).

Step 3. Update The RTB 

The new rent should be submitted to the RTB within one month following the date when the new rent amount applies. The landlord must be in receipt of the new rent amount before an update to the rent amount can be applied to the registration.

Step 3. Disputes 

If a tenant considers that they are being asked to pay more than the market rent, they can seek clarification from the landlord or take a dispute case to the RTB within 28 days of receipt of receiving notice of the rent review or at any time before the new rent amount is due to commence. This may lead some landlords to believe that once the 28 days has passed that the landlord will not be challenged but this is not the case. Should your tenant fail to raise a case within this time and does not pay the new rent once it falls due you the landlord will need to raise a case against the tenant for rent arrears at which time your rent review will be checked for validity.