Can You Raise Rent in January 2027? What Filipino Landlords Need to Know as Rent Control Expires
Note: General information, not legal advice. Facts checked on November 8, 2026. Ask a lawyer about your own lease.
The short answer
Probably, but check first. Today's rent cap ends on December 31, 2026, and no rule for 2027 has been announced yet. If none comes, no government cap limits a January increase. Your lease still does.
Rent cap for the same tenant, by year
Who rent control covers, and can you raise your rent?
In 2026, the cap covers a unit only if the rent is ₱10,000 a month or less and the same tenant stays. That tenant's rent can go up by 1% at most.
The cap doesn't cover a new tenant after a vacancy (you set their rent) or units built after the rule was approved. Boarding houses, dorms, rooms and bedspaces rented to students can raise rent only once a year. Check your unit below.
Rent increase calculator
Get a clear yes or no on your rent increase.
Who is the new rent for?
Rented to students? (boarding house, dorm, room or bedspace)
Can you raise the rent?
Yes, but verify first
No cap announced for 2027 yet (checked November 8, 2026). Check dhsud.gov.ph before you send notice.
If NHSB keeps the 2026 cap of 1%, the most you can charge is ₱8,080.
Mid-lease? Wait until it ends, unless the lease has an increase clause.
- New monthly rent
- ₱8,400
- More per month
- +₱400
- More per year
- +₱4,800
- Send notice by
- December 2, 2026
The notice date is 30 days before the new rent starts. That's common practice, not a legal rule. Nothing you type is saved.
What happens on January 1, 2027
NHSB calls 2025 and 2026 a two-year transition to a market without rent control, as Section 16 of the Rent Control Act asks. That hints the cap may end. But NHSB can still extend it.
Past extensions came late: December 27, 2023, and early January 2025. Check dhsud.gov.ph in late December and again in early January.
Your contract still decides
Even with no cap, a fixed-term lease keeps its rent until it ends, unless it has an increase clause like "rent goes up 5% each year." One side can't change a contract alone (Civil Code, Article 1308).
If the lease ended and your tenant stayed 15 days with your OK, the old terms carry on month to month (Article 1670). To change the rent, tell your tenant in writing first. No law sets the notice period. 30 days is common practice.
How much is fair when there's no cap?
Weigh it against an empty month. At ₱8,000 rent, a 10% increase earns ₱800 a month. If it costs you the tenant and the unit sits empty for a month, you lose ₱8,000: ten months of the increase. Small increases with a clear reason keep good tenants. Check what similar units nearby charge first. Once you have a number, use the notice below to tell your tenant.
Rent increase notice template
Fill in the blanks and give it to your tenant in writing. Keep a signed copy or a screenshot of their reply.
Note: Use it only after the lease ends, or if the lease has an increase clause. If NHSB extends rent control, stay within the new cap.
RENT INCREASE NOTICE Date: [date you give this notice] To: [tenant's full name] Unit: [unit or room number, property address] Dear [tenant's name], Thank you for renting with us. This is to let you know that your monthly rent will change as follows: Current monthly rent: ₱[current amount] New monthly rent: ₱[new amount] Starts on: [date, at least 30 days from today] Reason: [optional, e.g. higher association dues, recent repairs, a new water heater] All other terms of our agreement stay the same, including your due date and deposit. If you have questions, or if you don't plan to keep renting at the new rate, please tell me by [date] so we can talk it through. Thank you, [landlord's name] [mobile number] Received by tenant: ____________________ [tenant's name], date
Your December checklist
List the tenants whose lease ends in the next three months. Pick each new rent with the calculator. Check dhsud.gov.ph in late December. Send written notice 30 days before the new rent starts, and keep proof. Update the rent in your records from that date.
Don't want to do all this by hand? MyRentals keeps every tenant's rent, contract and payments in one place, and sends their monthly bills.
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