“I need it for myself” is a ground under the Rent Control Act. It is also the ground with the most conditions attached, and one of them can be checked a year later.
For the owner’s own use
“Legitimate need of the owner/lessor to repossess his or her property for his or her own use of for the use of an immediate member of his or her family as a residential unit: Provided, however, That the lease for a definite period has expired: Provided, further, That the lessor has given the lessee the formal notice three (3) months in advance of the lessor's intention to repossess the property and: Provided, finally, That the owner/lessor is prohibited from leasing the residential unit or allowing its use by a third party for a period of at least one (1) year from the time of repossession;”
Read the three provisos as a list, because that is what they are:
- The lease has to have been for a definite period, and that period has to have expired
- You have to have been given formal notice three months in advance
- For at least a year after taking it back, the unit cannot be leased out or given to a third party to use
The third one is the only condition in this law that can be verified after the fact. A unit that is back on the market two months later did not meet it.
For repairs under a condemnation order
A separate ground, and a narrow one — it is about premises under an existing order of condemnation, not about a renovation the owner would like to do.
“Need of the lessor to make necessary repairs of the leased premises which is the subject of an existing order of condemnation by appropriate authorities concerned in order to make the said premises safe and habitable: Provided, That after said repair, the lessee ejected shall have the first preference to lease the same premises: Provided, further, That the new rent shall be reasonably commensurate with the expenses incurred for the repair of the said residential unit”
First preference to lease it again is yours, not the next applicant’s. The rent after the repair can go up, but the section ties it to what the repair cost.
What this does not change
A ground is not an eviction. The procedure — the demand, the period, the case in the Municipal Trial Court — is separate and it is in “If you are told to leave”. Nobody may change the locks or cut the power on the strength of a ground alone.
Above the coverage line this section does not apply and the contract governs instead. Which line reaches you is in “Your deposit”.
If the person who showed you the unit was one of ours, tell us directly. We would rather hear it from you than not hear it at all.
This page quotes the law and links to the source. It is information, not legal advice, and it is not written for any one person’s situation. For your own case, go to your barangay or to a lawyer.
Law text checked 2026-08-09