Ending a tenancy in Ireland is no longer simply a matter of giving a tenant notice and asking them to leave.
Since 1 March 2026, the rules for new private tenancies have changed significantly. What a landlord can do now depends on when the tenancy began, how many tenancies the landlord has and the reason for ending the tenancy.
For landlords, getting the process wrong can invalidate a Notice of Termination and lead to a dispute with the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB).
The rules also differ between older and newer tenancies, meaning landlords should establish the start date of the tenancy before taking any action.
The first six months are different
Under the current rules, a landlord can end a tenancy during its first six months for any reason.
However, for a tenancy created from 1 March 2026, the landlord must still serve a valid Notice of Termination on the tenant and send a copy to the RTB on the same day.
There is also an important consequence for the next tenancy.
If a landlord ends a tenancy without fault by the tenant during the first six months, the property generally cannot simply be advertised at a new market rent immediately afterwards.
The RTB says a market-rent reset for the next tenancy is restricted following a no-fault termination. Exceptions include cases where the previous tenant ended the tenancy voluntarily, breached their obligations or the property no longer suited their needs.
This means ending a tenancy early can have implications beyond simply recovering possession of the property.
What changes after six months?
Once a tenant has lived continuously in a property for six months without receiving a valid Notice of Termination, they obtain security of tenure.
From that point, the landlord can only end the tenancy for specific legal reasons.
For tenancies created from 1 March 2026, the available reasons depend partly on the size of the landlord.
This is one of the biggest changes introduced by the new rental rules.
Small landlords
A small landlord is generally one with one to three tenancies on the day the Notice of Termination is served.
For a tenancy created from 1 March 2026, a small landlord can end the tenancy during the six-year Tenancy of Minimum Duration if:
- the tenant breaches their obligations;
- the property is no longer suitable for the tenant’s needs;
- the landlord needs to sell the property to avoid undue financial or other hardship; or
- the landlord or certain close family members need to live in the property.
The hardship provision is narrower than simply deciding that selling the property would be financially preferable.
The RTB says the sale must be connected to specified circumstances, such as providing a principal private residence, repaying certain debts or dealing with insolvency-related circumstances.
At the end of the six-year cycle
Small landlords have additional options when a six-year Tenancy of Minimum Duration comes to an end.
They can end the tenancy to:
- sell the property;
- move themselves or a qualifying family member into it;
- substantially refurbish or renovate it; or
- change its use.
The landlord must serve the Notice of Termination before the six-year period ends, while the termination date specified in the notice must fall on or after the end of that cycle.
If the landlord does not end the tenancy at the end of the six-year cycle, another six-year Tenancy of Minimum Duration begins.
Large landlords face tighter restrictions
The rules are more restrictive for landlords with four or more tenancies, as well as company landlords, when dealing with new tenancies created from 1 March 2026.
After the first six months, these landlords can generally end a tenancy only where:
- the tenant has breached their obligations; or
- the property is no longer suitable for the tenant’s needs.
They cannot end a new tenancy simply because they want to sell the property.
If a large landlord wants to sell, the property can instead be sold with the tenant in situ, with the tenancy continuing under the new owner. The new landlord takes over the existing tenancy and the tenant’s remaining protections continue.
That is an important distinction for investors considering whether to sell a rental property after the 2026 reforms.
Older tenancies have different rules
Not every Irish tenancy is covered by the new 1 March 2026 regime.
A tenancy created before that date remains subject to the rules applying to its start date.
For tenancies created before 1 March 2026, landlords can end a tenancy for six principal reasons:
- The tenant has breached their obligations.
- The property is no longer suitable for the tenant’s needs.
- The landlord intends to sell the property within nine months.
- The landlord or an immediate family member needs the property.
- The landlord intends to carry out substantial refurbishment.
- The landlord intends to change the use of the property.
There is also a separate rule for certain older tenancies that began before 11 June 2022. At the end of a Part 4 or Further Part 4 tenancy term, the landlord may be able to end the tenancy without relying on one of the six grounds.
This is why landlords should not assume that the rules applying to a new 2026 tenancy automatically apply to an older tenant.
How much notice must a landlord give?
The standard notice period depends on how long the tenant has been living in the property. Length of tenancy Minimum notice Less than 6 months 90 days 6 months to 1 year 152 days 1 year to 7 years 180 days 7 years to 8 years 196 days More than 8 years 224 days
These are the standard notice periods. Some situations allow a shorter period.
For example, serious anti-social behaviour can result in a seven-day notice, while certain breaches can allow termination after a shorter process.
Rent arrears require a specific process
A landlord cannot simply send a normal Notice of Termination because a tenant owes rent.
The landlord must first serve a rent-arrears warning notice setting out the amount owed and giving the tenant 28 days to pay.
A copy of that warning notice must also be sent to the RTB on the same day.
If the arrears remain unpaid after the 28-day period, the landlord can then serve a Notice of Termination giving the tenant 28 days’ notice.
This is an area where following the correct sequence is particularly important.
Other breaches require a warning
Where the tenant has breached an obligation other than rent arrears, the landlord generally needs to give the tenant an opportunity to correct the problem.
The warning should identify the breach and give a reasonable period for it to be remedied.
If the problem is not corrected, the landlord can proceed with the termination process where the legal requirements have been met.
Serious anti-social behaviour is treated differently. The RTB says a landlord can terminate with seven days’ notice in qualifying circumstances without first serving a warning notice.
A Notice of Termination is not just a letter
One of the most important practical points for landlords is that a Notice of Termination must meet the legal requirements.
It should contain the information required by law and use the correct procedure for the reason being relied upon.
Depending on the reason for termination, the landlord may also need to provide a statutory declaration or additional statement.
The RTB provides templates designed to help landlords meet these requirements.
Using an informal letter instead of the correct notice can create problems later.
The RTB must also receive the notice
For Notices of Termination covered by the current rules, the landlord must send a copy to the RTB at the same time as it is served on the tenant.
The RTB says failure to meet the required service rules can make a Notice of Termination invalid.
This is particularly important because the RTB maintains data on Notices of Termination and uses that information as part of its compliance work.
Tenants may have a right to return
Ending a tenancy on a particular ground does not always mean the landlord can later do whatever they want with the property.
In certain circumstances, the former tenant must be given an opportunity to return if the property becomes available to rent again.
This can apply where a tenancy was ended because the landlord intended to sell, intended to live in the property, planned to change its use or carried out major refurbishment.
The precise timeframe depends on the reason for termination. For example, the RTB says a former tenant can have a right to return where a property intended for sale has not been sold within nine months of the end of the notice period.
Landlords should therefore keep evidence showing what happened to the property after the tenancy ended.
Special rules apply when selling multiple properties
The so-called Tyrrelstown amendment can affect landlords selling multiple properties in the same development.
Where 10 or more properties in a development are being sold within six months, a landlord cannot simply rely on an intention to sell in every case.
The RTB says the landlord must be able to establish specific conditions, including that selling with the tenant in place would result in a sale price more than 20% below the property’s market value when sold vacant, and that preventing the termination would cause undue hardship or be unduly onerous.
The landlord must provide the required statutory declaration with the Notice of Termination.
This rule is particularly relevant to larger-scale property disposals.
Fixed-term agreements need separate consideration
A fixed-term tenancy is not automatically terminated simply because a landlord wants the property back before the agreed end date.
The RTB states that where a fixed-term agreement is in place, a landlord generally cannot end it before the agreed date unless the tenant has breached the terms of the agreement or another lawful basis for early termination applies.
At the same time, fixed-term arrangements exist alongside statutory security-of-tenure rights.
Landlords should therefore look at both the tenancy agreement and the applicable rental legislation before attempting to end a fixed-term tenancy.
What happens after the tenant leaves?
Once the tenancy has legally ended and the tenant has vacated the property, the landlord should deal promptly with the security deposit.
The deposit can only be retained where there is a lawful reason, such as:
- unpaid rent;
- unpaid bills or charges that were the tenant’s responsibility; or
- damage beyond normal wear and tear.
The landlord should retain evidence supporting any deduction.
That could include photographs, invoices, rent records, correspondence and the original inventory.
The rules make timing more important for landlords
The biggest lesson from the 2026 changes is that landlords can no longer approach every tenancy in the same way.
The tenancy’s start date matters.
The number of tenancies owned by the landlord matters.
The reason for termination matters.
The length of the tenancy matters.
And the paperwork matters.
A small landlord with two rental properties can have different options from a company landlord with ten properties when dealing with a new tenancy created after 1 March 2026.
At the same time, an older tenancy can remain subject to a different set of rules.
For landlords, the safest approach is therefore to establish the exact legal position before serving a Notice of Termination rather than relying on an old template or assuming that the rules have remained unchanged.
What landlords should check before ending a tenancy
Before serving a Notice of Termination, a landlord should establish:
- When did the tenancy begin?
- Is it a fixed-term tenancy?
- Has the tenant lived there for more than six months?
- How many tenancies does the landlord have?
- What legal reason is being used to end the tenancy?
- Is a warning notice required?
- What notice period applies?
- Does the notice require a statutory declaration or supporting statement?
- Has the correct RTB template been used?
- Will the notice be served correctly on the tenant?
- Has the copy been sent to the RTB at the required time?
- Could the tenant have a right to return to the property?
- Are there any special rules, such as the Tyrrelstown amendment, that apply?
Getting these questions right before serving the notice can prevent a potentially costly dispute later.
A changing rental system
Ireland’s 2026 rental reforms have created a more complicated framework for ending tenancies.
For tenants, the changes provide stronger security once the initial six months have passed.
For landlords, the rules mean that the route to ending a tenancy depends increasingly on the type and age of the tenancy and the size of the landlord.
The result is that a Notice of Termination is now much more than a standard letter giving a tenant an end date.
It is a legal process.
Landlords who are unsure whether they can end a tenancy, which notice period applies or what documents must accompany the notice should check the current RTB guidance or obtain appropriate professional advice before taking action.
This article is an M10News guide to the current RTB framework and is not legal advice. The Residential Tenancies Act 2004, as amended, remains the definitive source of the law.
