House rents could increase in 2026, following the annual coefficient defined by the National Statistics Institute. Next year, the standard update will be 2.24%, but there are families who could face much higher increases, exceeding 11%, if the landlord has not applied the legal updates in the last three years. According to DECO PROTeste, this possibility results from the accumulation of coefficients from previous years, which can be applied simultaneously in January.
According to the same consumer protection organization, this update is not mandatory and the landlord can choose not to increase the rent or choose any month in 2026 to apply the new table, as long as they do so with the minimum advance notice required by law. However, in older contracts or long-term rental situations, the impact may be significant for some households.
Who may face increases of more than 11%
DECO PROTeste explains that landlords who have not updated their rent in the last three years legally have the possibility of applying the accumulated coefficients from 2023, 2024 and 2025, in addition to that from 2026. This accumulation could result in a total increase above 11%, which could particularly affect families who already feel pressure on their budget due to the general increase in the cost of living.
The organization emphasizes that this accumulated update is permitted by law and does not constitute any irregularity, as long as the calculation is made based on the coefficients published in the Diário da República. In recent years, several tenants have turned to DECO PROTeste to clarify doubts about increases that they consider excessive, and it is common to see that these are precisely the result of the previous annual update not being updated.
How to calculate the new income amount
For 2026, the coefficient is 1.0224. According to the same source, the calculation is simple: just multiply the current income value by this coefficient. In an example provided by the organization, an income of 700 euros will increase to 715.68 euros after updating.
However, if the landlord chooses to apply the accumulated coefficients from previous years, the final value may be substantially different, reinforcing the importance of confirming the calculation and requesting clarification whenever necessary.
Communication to the tenant has mandatory rules
The law requires that any income update be communicated in writing at least 30 days in advance. According to the publication, the landlord can send the communication by registered letter with acknowledgment of receipt or deliver the letter by hand, as long as the tenant signs for receipt.
The letter must include:
- current income value
- updated value
- applied coefficient
- new income start date
The organization also remembers that the update can only be applied when the contract has been in force for more than one year. If the calculation is incorrect or the wrong coefficient is used, the tenant must dispute the update.
Where does the annual coefficient come from?
The rent update coefficient results from the variation in the consumer price index (excluding housing) in the previous 12 months, values made available by INE on August 31st. According to , the coefficient is published in the Diário da República until October 30th, allowing landlords to apply it from January of the following year.
With inflation stabilizing, 2026 will see a more moderate increase than in recent years. Still, for thousands of tenants, especially those facing accumulations of several years, the impact could be significant.
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