- Private tenancy numbers rose by 7.6% annually to 240,964 in Q4 2024, while private landlord numbers rose by 4.5% annually to 105,594.
- Approved Housing Body tenancies grew by 14.5% to pass 50,000 for the first time.
- Fewer landlords are ending tenancies to sell – 16,546 Notices of Termination received in 2024, down 13% on 2023. 9,170 or 55.4% were issued as the landlord intends to sell.
- The national standardised average rent increased by 6.4% annually for new tenancies to €1,693 in Q3 2024, and by 4.7% annually for existing tenancies to €1,429.
- Dispute processing times reduced by 30% to 7 weeks for mediation cases, by 26% to 17 weeks for adjudication cases and by 48% to 15 weeks for tribunals in 2024.
26 February 2025: The Residential Tenancies Board has released its Director’s Quarterly Update for Q1 2025. It draws on RTB tenancy registration and administrative data to provide the most complete view on the state of Ireland’s rental sector. The data shared includes RTB Profile of the Register data to Q4 2024, the RTB / ESRI Rent Index to Q3 2024 and RTB administrative data to Q4 2024. It answers key questions about Ireland’s rental market.
What size is Ireland’s rental sector? Profile of the Register data Q4 2024
The RTB Profile of the Register series is the most authoritative source of data on the size and profile of Ireland’s rental sector. Q4 2024 data shows that:
- Registered landlord and tenancy numbers continue to grow, with notably strong growth in Approved Housing Body (AHB) tenancies. Registered private tenancies rose by 7.6% annually to 240,964. AHB tenancies grew by 14.5% annually to reach 50,507.
- The number of private landlords has increased by 4.5% annually to 105,594. The number of private landlords has increased quarter-on-quarter and year-on-year, for all sizes of property portfolio from 1 to 100+ tenancies.
Are landlords selling to exit the market? RTB Notice of Termination data to Q4 2024
Data on Notices of Termination submitted by landlords to the RTB to the end of Q4 2024 shows that:
- The number of landlords selling to exit the market has fallen. The RTB received 16,546 Notices of Termination in 2024, down 13% from 2023. 9,170 of these were issued as the landlord intends to sell the property, down 20.7% from 11,568 in 2023.
How long does it take to resolve a dispute? RTB Dispute Resolution data to Q4 2024
Data on applications for dispute resolution received by the RTB in 2024 shows that:
- Dispute resolution applications have stabilised. The RTB received 9,564 applications for dispute resolution in 2024, down 3.5% from 2023.
- Dispute resolution timelines have reduced significantly. The RTB held 5,290 mediation and adjudication hearings in 2024, up 34% on 2023. It held 1,302 tribunal hearings, up 74% from 2023. As a result, the time to resolve a dispute case received and processed in 2024 reduced from 10 to 7 weeks for mediation cases, 23 to 17 weeks for adjudication cases and 29 to 15 weeks for tribunal cases.
What rent are tenants paying today? RTB / ESRI Rent Index Q3 2024
The quarterly RTB / ESRI Rent Index tracks price developments in the Irish rental market over time. It provides the most accurate picture of how average rents are changing for new and existing tenancies in Ireland. Q3 2024 data shows that:
- Standardised average rents continue to grow for new tenancies. The standardised average rent for new tenancies rose by 6.4% annually to €1,693 in Q3 2024.
- Standardised average rents continue to grow for existing tenancies, but sitting tenants still pay less. The standardised average rent for existing tenancies rose by 4.7% annually to €1,429. This is €264 lower than for new tenancies.
- Athlone LEA in County Roscommon has met the criteria for designation as a Rent Pressure Zone (RPZ) by the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage
Are landlords complying with rental law? RTB Compliance and Enforcement activity
- RPZ compliance campaign launched in Q4 2024 targeted tenancies where rent increased by more than 2%. Emails issued to 8,652 landlords associated with 16,052 tenancies of concern. As a result, 2,993 landlords have contacted the RTB and 300 have corrected their rent to date. 170 cases have been escalated for formal compliance and investigation and within three months €35,000 in overpaid rent has been returned to tenants. A further 1,000 tenancies where the landlord has not engaged, will be spot checked by June 2025.
- New registration campaign targets seven counties with highest levels of potentially unregistered tenancies. Public information campaign launched in partnership with seven local authorities on 11th February 2025.
Rosemary Steen, Director of the Residential Tenancies Board said:
“Today we are pleased to share the most complete set of data available on the state of Ireland’s rental sector. This information may challenge some common narratives on the housing sector, but it is based on current data from the RTB’s national register of tenancies and from RTB administrative datasets. Tenancies that are not captured in this data are unregistered tenancies, and those landlords are breaking the law. We continue to target non-compliant landlords through our ongoing compliance work and two significant registration and RPZ compliance campaigns.”
Emer Morrissey, Head of Compliance and Enforcement with the RTB said:
“The RTB takes any failure to comply with rental law seriously. In 2024, we have worked to build our capacity to identify non-compliant landlords at scale through data sharing with Government departments and agencies such as Revenue, and through commissioning new research. This data has informed two recent large-scale campaigns targeting failure to register and breaches of RPZ rules. Where we see deliberate and ongoing non-compliance following education and engagement, we are committed to using our full powers under the Residential Tenancies Act to investigate and sanction landlords.”