Can my landlord increase my rent, and by how much?
Last updated: 2026-07-11 · Educational content; not legal advice.
Short answer
For covered units, rent increases are capped by the Rent Control Act (RA 9653), which has been kept in force by later government issuances. The Act covers residential units renting from ₱1 up to ₱10,000 a month in Metro Manila and other highly urbanized cities, and up to ₱5,000 a month everywhere else. For those covered units, the allowable annual increase is not open-ended — it is set by the periodic rent-control resolution of the DHSUD's National Human Settlements Board (NHSB). The current resolution (NHSB Resolution No. 2024-001, covering 2025–2026) caps increases for units still occupied by the same tenant at 2.3% for 2025 and 1% for 2026. Units renting above the coverage ceiling are not protected by these caps.
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Frequently asked
Which rentals are covered?
Residential units renting from ₱1 up to ₱10,000 per month in the National Capital Region and other highly urbanized cities, and from ₱1 up to ₱5,000 per month in all other areas, per RA 9653 §5. Units above these ceilings are not covered by the rent-increase caps.
What is the current allowable increase?
For covered units still occupied by the same tenant, NHSB Resolution No. 2024-001 sets the cap at 2.3% for 2025 and 1% for 2026. Because the cap is set by a periodic resolution rather than a fixed number in the statute, check the current DHSUD/NHSB rent-control issuance for the year in question.
Can they raise the rent more when a new tenant moves in?
The percentage caps apply to increases for a unit still occupied by the same lessee. Practices for a change of tenant can differ, so confirm against the current rent-control resolution and your written lease.
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Your rights as a home buyer or renter — the Maceda Law (RA 6552) refund and cash-surrender-value rules when you stop paying a house or condo on installment, the grace period before a developer can cancel, PD 957 remedies when a developer won't deliver your unit, title, or promised amenities, how to file against a developer at DHSUD / the HSAC, and the Rent Control Act (RA 9653) limits on deposits, rent increases, and eviction.