Notice of Rent Review template — and why a Word file is the risky option

Why a downloaded template is now the risky option

Almost every Notice of Rent Review template circulating online was written for the Rent Pressure Zone regime, which ended on 1 March 2026. They refer to a 4% cap that no longer exists, omit the comparable rents requirement, or leave the calculation entirely to the person filling in the blanks.

The failure is not obvious at the time. An invalid rent review simply does not take effect — you discover it months later when the tenant disputes it, by which point you have been charging a rent you were not entitled to. The RTB can impose sanctions of up to €15,000 for improper conduct by a landlord.

A generator removes the two things a template cannot do for you: it computes the cap from the official CSO index for your exact dates, and it refuses to produce a document that would breach the notice period or the cap.

Section 1 — Parties and dwelling

Name the landlord — or the agent, with their PSRA licence number — every tenant on the tenancy agreement, and the dwelling with its Eircode. Errors in the tenants' names are a common ground for dispute.

Section 2 — The new rent and the dates

State the current rent, the new rent, the date the current rent was set, the date of service and the effective date, and make the interval between the last two explicit. A reader should be able to check the 90 days without doing arithmetic.

Section 3 — The calculation

Show the reference period in days, both CPI months and index values, the annualised cap, and which of the two limits applied. Cite the CSO dataset so the figures can be verified independently.

Section 4 — Comparable rents

List three dwellings of a similar size, type and character in a comparable area, advertised for rent within the four weeks before service, with addresses, rents, bedroom counts and source links. This is the requirement templates most often drop, and it is the one that demonstrates the new rent does not exceed the market rent.

Section 5 — The tenant's rights

Set out, in the statutory wording, how and by when the tenant may refer a dispute to the RTB. Paraphrasing this section is a known way to have a notice set aside for failing to give proper notice of rights.

Section 6 — Declaration, signature and date of service

Sign it, and write the date of service by hand at the moment the notice is actually handed over or posted. Every period in the notice runs from that date, so a pre-printed date that turns out to be wrong undermines the whole document.

Questions

Is there an official RTB template for a rent review notice?

The RTB publishes guidance and sample wording, but the responsibility for a compliant notice — including the calculation and the comparable rents — rests with the landlord or agent.

Can I just edit a Word template?

You can, but you then carry the risk of the calculation, the notice period and the comparable rents yourself. Most templates in circulation still describe the Rent Pressure Zone rules, which ended on 1 March 2026.

Do I need three comparable properties?

Yes. Three dwellings of a similar size, type and character in a comparable area, advertised within the four weeks before the notice is served.