Rent control in the Philippines for 2026: which rentals are covered and how much rent can go up

The short answer for 2026

Rent control comes from the Rent Control Act of 2009 (Republic Act No. 9653) and from resolutions of the National Human Settlements Board (NHSB), the policy board of the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD). The one in force for 2026 is NHSB Resolution No. 2024-01, covering 1 January 2025 to 31 December 2026.

Under that resolution, if you rent a home for PHP 10,000 a month or less and you stay on as the same tenant, your rent may not be increased by more than 1% from 1 January to 31 December 2026. In 2025 the limit was 2.3%. On a PHP 8,000 rent, 1% is PHP 80, so the highest lawful rent for 2026 is PHP 8,080.

Where the rules come from, and what about 2027

RA 9653 was signed on 14 July 2009. Its own limit on increases (Section 4) ran only until 31 December 2013, but Section 6 lets the government continue rent regulation, decide which units are covered, and adjust the yearly limit. Republic Act No. 11201 later folded the council that held this power into DHSUD and created the NHSB as its policy board. NHSB Resolution No. 2024-01 was approved on 23 December 2024 and filed with the UP Law Center's Office of the National Administrative Register on 11 April 2025.

The resolution ends on 31 December 2026. As of 28 September 2026, we did not find a newer NHSB rent control resolution for 2027 in that register. Do not assume that the 1% cap or the PHP 10,000 threshold will carry over. Check DHSUD's published NHSB resolutions before agreeing to or asking for any 2027 increase.

Is your rental covered in 2026?

The 2026 limit protects you if all of these are true:

• It is a residential unit. The law counts houses, apartments, dormitories, rooms and bedspaces offered for rent, but not motels, motel rooms, hotels or hotel rooms.
• The monthly rent is PHP 10,000 or less. The resolution applies this one figure to "any residential unit" and does not repeat the lower PHP 5,000 figure the 2009 law used outside Metro Manila and highly urbanized cities.
• The unit is not new construction. Rent regulation does not apply to new units offered for lease that are built after the resolution's approval on 23 December 2024.
• You are the same tenant continuing to occupy the unit. The cap does not limit the starting rent for a new tenant.

How much rent can go up, and how often

The cap is a maximum, not an automatic increase. Rent is paid according to the terms of the lease (Civil Code, Article 1657), and a contract cannot be left to the will of one party (Article 1308). So a mid-lease increase generally needs a lease clause allowing it or a new written agreement, and must still stay within the cap.

NHSB Resolution No. 2024-01 sets these limits:

• Same tenant, 1 January to 31 December 2026: no increase of more than 1% for that period.
• Same tenant, 1 January to 31 December 2025: no increase of more than 2.3% for that period.
• Unit becomes vacant in 2025 or 2026: the landlord may set the initial rent for the next tenant.
• Boarding houses, dormitories, rooms and bedspaces rented to students: no increase in rent more than once a year.

What landlords of covered units may not do

RA 9653 also sets rules on payment and deposits. Rent is paid in advance within the first five days of each month, unless the lease sets a later date. Tenants have duties too: assigning the lease, subleasing, or taking in boarders or bedspacers without the owner's written consent is prohibited (Section 8). Anyone found guilty of violating the Act faces a fine of PHP 25,000 to PHP 50,000, imprisonment of one month and one day to six months, or both (Section 13).

A landlord of a covered unit may not:

• Demand more than one month of advance rent (Section 7).
• Demand more than two months of deposit. The deposit must be kept in a bank under the lessor's account name for the whole lease, and any interest earned is returned to the tenant when the lease ends (Section 7).
• Keep more of the deposit than the actual loss. It may be forfeited only in an amount matching the damage if the tenant leaves rent or utility bills unpaid or destroys parts of the house (Section 7).
• Evict the tenant because the property was sold or mortgaged, whether or not the lease or mortgage is registered (Section 10).

When a covered tenant can be asked to leave

RA 9653 speaks of judicial ejectment, which means a court case, not a lockout. If both sides live in the same city or municipality, most disputes must first go through barangay conciliation before a court case (Local Government Code, Sections 408 and 412). If you get a notice to vacate or cannot settle, talk to a lawyer or your local housing office before you move out or stop paying.

Section 9 of RA 9653 lists these grounds for ejectment:

• Assigning the lease or subleasing, including taking in boarders or bedspacers, without the owner's written consent.
• Unpaid rent totalling three months. If the landlord refuses to accept rent, the tenant may deposit it within one month with the court, the city or municipal treasurer, the barangay chairman, or a bank in the landlord's name with notice, then keep depositing within ten days of each month.
• The owner's legitimate need to use the home for themselves or an immediate family member, but only after a fixed-term lease has expired and with formal notice three months ahead. The owner may not lease it or let a third party use it for at least one year after.
• Necessary repairs under an existing condemnation order, with the tenant getting first preference to lease the unit again.
• Expiration of the period of the lease.

If your rent is above PHP 10,000 or the unit is newly built

The 2026 cap does not apply. The Civil Code rules on lease govern, and the rent, any increases, the advance rent and the deposit are what you agree in the lease, as long as the terms are not contrary to law, morals, good customs, public order or public policy (Article 1306).

Both sides still have basic protection. The landlord must deliver the home fit for use, make necessary repairs unless the lease says otherwise, and keep the tenant in peaceful enjoyment (Article 1654). The tenant must pay the agreed rent and use the home with care (Article 1657). To remove a tenant, a landlord must go to court on grounds such as expiry of the lease, non-payment or breach (Article 1673).

If no period was agreed and rent is paid monthly, the lease runs month to month (Article 1687). A tenant cannot assign the lease without the landlord's consent (Article 1649), but may sublet unless the lease expressly prohibits it (Article 1650).

Practical tips for a written lease

A clear lease prevents most rent arguments. Whether or not your unit is covered:

• Write the exact monthly rent, the due date, and fixed start and end dates.
• For a 2026 renewal of a covered unit, write both the old and the new rent so anyone can check that the increase is 1% or less.
• State the advance rent and deposit in pesos, where the deposit is kept, and how deductions and refunds work.
• Say whether subleasing, assigning or taking in boarders needs the owner's written consent.
• Attach a signed inventory and condition report with dated photos at move-in and move-out.
• Keep receipts for every payment and send notices in writing.

Common questions