In the face of skyrocketing rental prices and a significant rise of homelessness in Ireland since the 2008 financial crisis, the Irish government is making an attempt to rectify the current failure to meet housing demands. Over the past decade, rental prices have increased while housing availability has decreased, and wages have failed to keep pace. To combat this, urgent legislation aimed at addressing the widespread issue is being pushed through the Dáil. The Residential Tenancies (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2026 aims to reform the currently dysfunctional rental market and attract new investment to match soaring demand.
The extremity of this situation is perpetuated by highlighting statistics regarding monthly homelessness figures, which detailed above 16,000 people, including adults and children, throughout 2025 (Novas, 2025). As a result of the lack of housing, there has been a spike in the amount of people relying on emergency accommodation. Workers from the Dublin Simon Community and the Salvation Army claim that, not only are the numbers presented appalling, but that there will be no actual change without government intervention (Burns, “Number of people in homelessness reaches new record high of 15,418”). The resulting decline in quality of life is also impacting labour supply and employers’ ability to recruit. In urban areas, such as Dublin, essential workers either are unable to find accommodation or cannot afford it, affecting the job market and Irish companies. This long-standing episode is attributed to the slow execution of new builds and high construction costs. The main enemy, many Irish claim, is Airbnb, removing stock off the long-term market and installing them in the short-term rental scene for tourists and others alike. A comparison between 2,300 available rental homes on Daft.ie and upwards of 8,000 short-term lets on Airbnb unveils yet another issue contributing to the crisis (Kelleher, “Nine times as many Irish properties on Airbnb as in long-term rental, charity says”).
Residential Tenancies (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2026 has recently been passed and its provisions will be invoked for all new tenancies created from March 1st, 2026 on, leaving any active tenancies unchanged. The bill will provide increased security of tenure for renters by installing a minimum duration of six years and restriction of “no fault evictions”. Landlords will also be protected by maintaining the right to end a tenancy under a breach of tenant obligations. Once the six year period has expired, landlords can end the tenancy using previously fixed legal grounds. Similarly, smaller landlords, those with three tenants or less, will have flexibility to end tenancies before the tenure has run its course. When prompted to speak on the benefits of the bill, James Browne, Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, claimed that “tenants in Ireland will soon have the most robust set of protections they have ever had”.
To accompany renter security, the bill will link rent control to the CPI (Consumer Price Index) instead of the HICP (Harmonized Index of Consumer Prices). CPI reflects domestic cost-of-living changes specific to Ireland, while HICP is designed for EU-wide comparison and excludes certain costs. Linking rent controls to CPI would better reflect the real inflation experienced by renters and limit rent increases in line with domestic pressures, rather than broader European trends. Additionally, to protect from high inflation, there will be a two per cent annual cap, applied proportionally over time with one caveat: the cap will not apply to rents of apartments looking for new tenants. Those in opposition to Minister Browne’s agenda assert that this provision, which allows for rent to be reset to market rate once tenants leave, will contribute to rising rents. While a valid concern, no economic eviction measures are being implemented via restrictions for rent resent being allowed solely if a tenant leaves of their own volition. Browne and the bill’s supporters argue that the resetting of rents post six-year-tenure will allow for high yield long-term investments. A national system of rent control can stabilise supply and fundamentally alter the trajectory of housing in the country.
As Ireland’s student population continues to grow, attracting individuals from Europe and the wider globe, the student housing companies are rapidly gaining a monopoly on real estate. Around two‑thirds of student accommodation nationwide are privately owned, and companies like Global Student Accommodation have become major landlords, controlling thousands of rooms and ranking amongst the largest residential property owners in Ireland (GSA Group, 2025). From March 1st, 2029, providers of student-specific accommodation (SSA) will be permitted to reset rents to market levels at the end of each three-year cycle following an initial market rent setting. This provision acknowledges the higher turnover of occupants in student accommodation compared to the wider rental market. Under the measure, students will benefit from rent certainty for a fixed three-year period, during which rents cannot be reset to market rates, offering stability while accounting for the churn of the student housing sector.
Ultimately, the Residential Tenancies (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2026 represents a meaningful step toward addressing Ireland’s long-standing housing challenges. Through stronger tenant protections, rent controls linked to real domestic inflation, and flexibility for landlords and investors, the legislation seeks to strike a balance between stability and growth in the rental market. While not a fool proof remedy, the bill offers hope that renters, whether students, essential workers, or families, can enjoy greater certainty and security, while the housing market adjusts to meet the country’s growing demand.