IRAV 2026: how much you can raise the rent this year
The index that caps the annual rent update in Spain, the 2% cap brought in by RDL 29/2026, and a calculator to get your lease's new rent in one minute.
With the latest IRAV published by INE (August 2026: 2.47%) and RDL 29/2026 as published in the BOE on 7 October.
boltShort answer
If your lease was signed on or after 26 May 2023, the annual increase can never exceed the IRAV, the index INE publishes every month: the latest one, for August 2026, is 2.47%. And if the update date falls between 8 October 2026 and 31 December 2027, RDL 29/2026 adds a 2% cap unless you agree otherwise with the tenant.
With no update clause in the lease, there is no increase. And if your rent already exceeds the reference price index of a stressed zone, RDL 29/2026 allows no increase at all until the end of 2027.
Calculate your lease's new rent
Enter the signing date, the update date and your rent: we tell you which index applies, whether the 2% cap affects you and how much the rent goes up. We store no data.
Your update
Applicable increase
New rent
Difference per month
Difference per year
Never miss a rent update
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Start freeIndicative result based on INE data and the BOE text as of 7 October 2026. Not a substitute for legal advice.
IRAV and CPI by month
Annual change published by INE. Each update uses the latest figure published on that date.
| Month | IRAV 2025 | IRAV 2026 | CPI 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 2.19 % | 2.14 % | 2.3 % |
| February | 2.08 % | 2.16 % | 2.3 % |
| March | 1.98 % | 2.47 % | 3.4 % |
| April | 2.09 % | 2.40 % | 3.2 % |
| May | 1.99 % | 2.48 % | 3.2 % |
| June | 2.10 % | 2.44 % | 3.2 % |
| July | 2.15 % | 2.49 % | 3.6 % |
| August | 2.19 % | 2.47 % | 4.3 % |
| September | 2.22 % | Pending | Pending |
| October | 2.25 % | Pending | Pending |
| November | 2.29 % | Pending | Pending |
| December | 2.32 % | Pending | Pending |
Source: INE (IRAV and general CPI series, annual change). INE publishes each figure around the middle of the following month; September 2026 will be out in mid-October.
What is the IRAV
The IRAV (Índice de Referencia para la Actualización Anual de los Contratos de Arrendamiento de Vivienda) is the index set by INE to cap annual rent increases in Spain. It was created by Housing Law 12/2023 and has been published monthly since November 2024, so it has applied since January 2025.
It is designed to be steadier than the CPI: INE takes the lowest of several inflation measures, including headline and core CPI. That is why, when the CPI jumps, as in August 2026 (4.3%), the IRAV stays much lower (2.47%).
Which index applies to your lease
It all depends on the signing date and on what the update clause says. RDL 29/2026 has rewritten article 18 of the LAU with these rules:
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Lease with no update clause
The rent is not updated. Article 18 only allows an increase on the terms agreed by the parties.
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Signed from 26 May 2023, clause with no specific index
The IRAV for the latest month published on the update date applies.
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Signed from 26 May 2023, CPI clause
You apply the CPI, but the increase can never exceed the IRAV: in practice, the lower of the two.
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Signed before 26 May 2023
What the lease says applies, usually the CPI, with no IRAV ceiling. The temporary 2% (2022 and 2023) and 3% (2024) caps are no longer in force, but the new RDL 29/2026 cap does affect you.
The 2% cap of RDL 29/2026
RDL 29/2026, in force since 8 October 2026, limits updates falling until 31 December 2027 on residential leases under the LAU, whatever their signing date: without a new agreement with the tenant, the increase cannot exceed 2%. And if the rent already exceeds the reference price index limit, no increase is allowed.
Note: it is a Royal Decree-law and the Standing Committee of Congress must validate it before mid-November; no vote date has been set yet. PNV has announced its support, but two decrees with similar caps were already repealed this year (in April and on 2 October), so check the outcome before notifying the increase.
Everything about Spain's 2026 housing decrees arrow_forwardHow to update the rent, step by step
The update is not automatic: you have to notify it. Five steps to get it right:
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1
Check that the lease has an update clause and when its anniversary is.
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2
Find the latest INE figure published on that date (IRAV, CPI or both depending on your lease) and apply the caps in force.
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3
Notify the tenant in writing, stating the percentage applied. A note on the previous month's receipt is enough; if you want proof of the date, use a burofax or an email with acknowledgement of receipt.
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4
Charge the new rent from the month after the notice. If you forgot, you cannot charge the missed months.
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5
Keep the notice and the INE figure with the lease: the tenant can ask for the index certificate.
Rent updates on autopilot
With several leases, each with its own date, clause and index, it is easy to miss an update or apply the wrong figure. imotrack does it for you:
- check A reminder before every lease anniversary, with the right index.
- check New rent calculated and recorded on the lease from the correct month.
- check Notices and receipts kept next to each tenant.
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Common mistakes when updating the rent
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error
Raising rent with no clause
If the lease does not provide for an update, you cannot apply one unilaterally.
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Jumping ahead of the anniversary
The rent is only updated on each lease anniversary, not at the start of the year.
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Using the wrong month
The latest figure published on the update date applies, not the month that suits you best.
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error
Ignoring the IRAV or the 2% cap
For leases from 26 May 2023, the IRAV caps the increase even if the lease says CPI. And until the end of 2027, RDL 29/2026 adds the 2% cap.
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error
Charging retroactively
The new rent is only due from the month after the written notice.
IRAV vs reference price index: not the same thing
The IRAV is a percentage: it caps how much the rent of a lease in force can rise each year. The reference price index is an amount in euros per square metre: it sets the maximum rent of a home in a declared stressed zone.
lightbulb RDL 29/2026 links them: if your rent already exceeds the reference price index limit, you cannot apply any increase until 31 December 2027, even if the IRAV would allow it.
Frequently asked questions about the IRAV
What is the latest IRAV published? expand_more
August 2026, at 2.47%, published by INE in mid-September. The September figure will be published in mid-October.
How much can I raise the rent in 2026? expand_more
It depends on the signing date and the clause. For leases from 26 May 2023, at most the IRAV. And for updates between 8 October 2026 and 31 December 2027, at most 2% without a new agreement, or nothing if your rent exceeds the reference price index.
Does the IRAV apply to leases signed before May 2023? expand_more
Not as a ceiling: those leases are updated according to their clause, usually with the CPI. They are, however, subject to the 2% cap of RDL 29/2026 until the end of 2027.
My lease says CPI, what do I apply? expand_more
If it was signed on or after 26 May 2023, the lower of the CPI and the IRAV. If earlier, the CPI. In both cases, with the 2% cap of RDL 29/2026 for updates until the end of 2027.
What if my lease has no update clause? expand_more
Then there is no update: the rent stays the same until you agree otherwise or sign a new lease.
Do I have to notify the tenant? expand_more
Yes, in writing and stating the percentage applied. The new rent is due from the month after the notice.
Can I agree an increase above 2%? expand_more
RDL 29/2026 allows a new agreement between the parties, unless your rent exceeds the reference price index. For leases from May 2023, the IRAV remains the ceiling for the annual update.
What if RDL 29/2026 is not validated? expand_more
The 2% cap would disappear and only the IRAV and the lease terms would apply again. The Standing Committee has until mid-November to vote on it.
Official sources
- INE: Housing Rental Reference Index (IRAV), methodology and data.
- BOE-A-2026-20823: Royal Decree-law 29/2026 (LAU article 18 and the 2% cap).
- BOE: Urban Leases Law 29/1994, consolidated text.
- BOE: Housing Law 12/2023.
This guide is informational and does not replace advice from a lawyer or gestor.
Raise the rent by the right amount, on the right date
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