RTB Rent Register
The public register of rents, and how to read it
Since 1 March 2026 every registered tenancy in Ireland is searchable by area, size, bedrooms and BER. Here is what it shows, where it misleads, and how to turn it into a rent figure you can defend.
Both read the register for your Eircode and show the figure or the verdict free before you order anything.
What the register shows
For every local electoral area the Residential Tenancies Board publishes the rents of registered tenancies of similar homes. Each row shows the RT number, the rent, the floor area, the number of bedrooms, the BER and whether the registration was a new tenancy or an annual renewal. Names and addresses are not shown. The official search is at rtb.ie.
How to read it
Three things trip people up. The search returns 30 rows at a time and reorders them on every visit, so two people looking at the same area see different lists. New tenancies and continuing ones sit in the same table, although one shows the market and the other shows rents held down by the cap for years. And the rows are for homes like yours, not for yours: a 43 m² flat and a 110 m² one both count as two-bed apartments until you adjust for size and BER.
Landlords use the register to pick the three comparable tenancies every rent review or rent setting notice now has to cite. Tenants use it to see whether their rent is out of line. The register does not tell you the maximum rent you can charge: that comes from the rent limit calculation, and the new rent must also not be above the market rent the register shows.
RTB Rent Register or asking rents on Daft?
They measure different things. A listing site shows what a landlord asked for today, for homes that may or may not let at that price; the register shows what was actually agreed and filed with the RTB, including homes that never appeared in an advert. Asking rents usually run above registered rents in the same area, and only the register counts before the RTB. For the average by town, see rent prices in Ireland.
Is a tenancy registered at all?
A different question with a different official tool. To check one address, use Is my tenancy registered?; it also tells you how to report an unregistered tenancy to the RTB.
Questions
Why do I get different results from the RTB site each time?
The official search returns 30 rows at a time and reorders them on each visit. To see everything the register holds for your kind of home you have to run the same search several ways (one BER step either side, 10 m² either side) and merge the results by RT number. That is what our reports do, sorting by how close each tenancy is to yours: same electoral division first, then floor area, BER and how recent the tenancy is.
What is the difference between new and continuing tenancies?
A new tenancy registration shows the rent agreed with a new tenant, which is the closest thing to market rent. An annual registration is a tenancy that carried on, and its rent has been held down by the 2% or inflation cap for years. Mixing the two hides the real picture, so we show them apart.
Why does the register need my BER and floor area?
The register only answers for a specific combination of dwelling type, bedrooms, BER and floor area. Our reports take the BER and area from the SEAI register for your Eircode so you do not have to look them up.
Can I use RT numbers from the register in my notice?
Yes, that is what they are for. The Notice of Rent Review and the Notice of Rent Setting each ask for three registered tenancies of similar homes with the rent paid. The report gives you all three with a written reason each, matching the four criteria in section 19 of the form.
Is the register free to use?
Yes. It is a public service of the Residential Tenancies Board at rtb.ie. What it does not do is tell you which three rows to cite, whether your rent is above the market, or what the cap is for a sitting tenant. That is the part we do.