Rental watchdog maintains Rent Pressure Zones are containing inflation despite rising terminations
Landlords issued 5,405 termination notices in the three months to the end of September, marking a 35 percent annual increase and a 14.3 percent rise on the previous quarter, according to new figures from the Residential Tenancies Board.
The data reveals the second major quarterly increase in succession, with the previous quarter having already recorded a 17.2 percent annual jump in eviction notices. Termination numbers have climbed steadily since the short-term eviction ban was lifted in March 2023, fueling ongoing debate about whether the trend indicates landlords permanently exiting the rental market.
The official reason cited for 61 percent of all notices last quarter was landlords’ intention to sell their properties, accounting for 3,307 of the terminations. However, RTB director Rosemary Steen urged caution in interpreting the figures, noting that at least 2,000 landlords end tenancies with the intention to sell in every quarter without this typically leading to a fall in registered tenancies.
“We know there are always landlords entering and leaving the rental market,” Steen said, while acknowledging “big changes” in the profile of newer landlords amid the growing dominance of multi-property owners. She noted that the proportion of tenancies held by institutional and larger landlords has now increased for nine consecutive quarters to 14.2 percent.
Despite the surge in eviction notices, the RTB maintains that Rent Pressure Zones are successfully curbing larger rent increases. Nationally, property-level rents grew by 2.15 percent on average in the three months to the end of September, down from 2.7 percent at the same point in 2024, according to analysis by the Economic and Social Research Institute carried out with the RTB.
For existing tenants, rents grew just 1.1 percent in RPZs to the end of March, compared with 2.9 percent in non-RPZ areas. Rent Pressure Zones, introduced in 2016 in areas facing steep rent rises, cap annual increases at 2 percent. While the government had previously signaled plans to phase them out to encourage new rental supply, the entire country was designated as an RPZ at the end of June this year.
Addressing the new data, Steen said RPZs have “been effective in moderating rent increases,” adding that “this reflects our experience that most landlords want to comply with rental law.” She emphasized that any breaches of RPZ rules have been pursued by the regulator.
The figures come as Ireland continues to grapple with a severe housing crisis, with rental availability at historic lows and thousands of households facing homelessness. The surge in termination notices, particularly those citing intention to sell, has raised concerns among tenant advocacy groups about the stability of the rental sector and the displacement of families and individuals.
Critics argue that while RPZs may moderate rent increases for existing tenants, they do nothing to help those facing eviction who must then compete in a market with extremely limited supply and face significantly higher rents when securing new accommodation. The combination of rising evictions and constrained supply continues to place enormous pressure on households across Ireland, particularly in urban centers.