Notice Periods Explained: What You and Your Landlord Owe Each Other

24 July 2026

Notice periods are a sliding scale

Under the Residential Tenancies Acts, the notice period both sides must give scales with how long the tenancy has lasted. The longer the tenant has been in the property, the more notice the landlord must give to end the tenancy. Tenants also have to give proper notice, but generally shorter and on a simpler scale.

Getting notice wrong is one of the most common reasons perfectly valid terminations fail. This guide explains the current periods, how they are counted, and the exceptions.

What the landlord must give (as of 2026)

Since the 2022 amendments, notice periods for landlord terminations are longer than they used to be, especially for longer tenancies.

- Less than six months: 90 days - Six months to one year: 152 days - One to three years: 180 days - Three to seven years: 196 days - Seven to eight years: 224 days - More than eight years: 224 days

The notice must be in writing, signed and dated by the landlord (or agent), specify the exact termination date, state the reason for termination, and include a Notice of Termination form in the prescribed RTB format.

What the tenant must give

Tenants give shorter notice, on a simpler scale:

- Less than six months: 28 days - Six months to one year: 35 days - One to two years: 42 days - Two to four years: 56 days - Four to eight years: 84 days - More than eight years: 112 days

Notice must be in writing (email is acceptable), state the intended last day, and be delivered before that day begins to run.

How the days are counted

Both sides count in calendar days, not working days. The count starts the day after the notice is received, not the day the notice was written or posted.

Example: a landlord posts a 180-day notice on 1 March. The tenant receives it on 3 March. Day 1 is 4 March. The termination date must therefore be no earlier than about 30 August.

Getting the arithmetic wrong is enough to invalidate the notice. The RTB will reject a termination that is even one day short.

Valid reasons a landlord can end a tenancy

Since the abolition of no-fault "own use" terminations in most cases, a landlord can now only terminate a Part 4 tenancy for specific reasons:

- The tenant has breached obligations (arrears, anti-social behaviour, damage). - The landlord intends to sell the property within nine months. - A close family member of the landlord will occupy it. - The landlord will occupy it themselves. - The property will be substantially refurbished or is no longer suitable for the household. - Change of use (for example, converting to commercial premises).

Each reason has its own supporting documentation requirements. A notice that fails to include the correct documentation is invalid.

What tenants can do about a defective notice

If any part of the notice is wrong (wrong date, missing signature, insufficient period, missing form), you can:

- Reply in writing that the notice is invalid and stating why. - Stay in the property beyond the stated termination date. - Open a dispute at the RTB within 28 days of receiving the notice, or within 90 days if the notice was allegedly invalid.

An invalid notice does not extend on its own; the landlord must issue a new, correct notice, which restarts the whole clock.

When you leave, get proof

However you deliver notice to the landlord, keep proof. A read receipt on an email, a screenshot of a WhatsApp reply, or a signed copy. Disputes about whether notice was ever received are common and always ugly.

Notice does not end your other rights

Even after a valid notice period ends, your right to have your deposit returned, to receive a proper move-out inspection, and to challenge deductions at the RTB all continue. Ending a tenancy is not the same as ending the landlord's obligations to you.

Read next: our tenant rights guide, or the deposit dispute guide for what happens after you hand over the keys.