RTB issues Director’s Quarterly Update on rental sector – September 2026 - Bord um Tionóntachtaí Cónaithe

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RTB issues Director’s Quarterly Update on rental sector – September 2026

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03 Sept 2026: Ireland’s rental sector showed continued signs of stabilisation and adjustment to new rental law reforms in the second quarter of 2026, according to the latest data from the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB). Notices of Termination fell sharply in Q2 following a significant increase in Q1 2026, while strong growth continued in both cost rental and Approved Housing Body tenancies. The rate of rental inflation for new tenancies increased at a faster rate than for existing tenancies in Q1 2026.

The data, published today as part of the RTB Director’s Quarterly Update, draws on RTB tenancy registration and administrative datasets to provide the most comprehensive picture available of Ireland’s rental sector.

Notices of Termination – Q2 2026

The RTB received 4,031 Notices of Termination in Q2 2026, representing a significant decline from levels recorded in Q1 2026.

  • 4,031 Notices of Termination were received in Q2 2026, down 42.9% from Q1 2026 and down 14.7% from Q2 2025.
  • 2,023 notices, or just over half (50.2%), were issued as the landlord intended to sell the property.

 RTB Profile of the Register – Q2 2026

Total tenancy registrations continue to increase, driven by strong growth across cost rental and Approved Housing Body tenancies.

  • Registered private tenancies increased by 1.5% year-on-year to 241,072 in Q2 2026 but were largely static quarter-on-quarter.
  • Cost rental tenancies increased by 82.5% year-on-year to 6,186, continuing strong expansion in the sector.
  • Approved Housing Body tenancies increased by 11.5% year-on-year to 59,055, the highest level since the data series began.

RTB / ESRI Quarterly Rent Index – Q1 2026

The rate of rental inflation for new tenancies increased but moderation in the rate of price growth for existing tenancies continued.

  • The standardised average rent for new tenancies nationally increased by 9.1% year-on-year to €1,839 per month.
  • The standardised average rent for existing tenancies nationally increased by 4.2% year-on-year to €1,513 per month.
  • Sitting tenants pay on average €326 per month less than new tenants.

RTB Compliance and Enforcement Activity

  • The RTB will gain new powers to impose a fixed payment notice for six breaches of rental law from 14 September 2026. Initial fixed payment notice campaigns will target non-compliance with rent setting and registration rules.
  • The RTB published 10 new sanctions against landlords today with a total value of €57,080.
  • The RTB issued 1,133 compliance notices for failure to register in Q2 2026.

Commenting on the quarterly update, RTB Director Rosemary Steen said:

“The latest data shows that the rental sector continues to stabilise and adjust following the introduction of significant rental law reforms earlier this year. Notices of Termination have seen a sharp decline in Q2 2026, suggesting that the unusually high volumes seen in Q1 2026 were temporary rather than indicative of a sustained trend. We also continue to see strong growth in both cost rental and Approved Housing Body tenancies, which are making an increasingly important contribution to housing supply.”

“However, we continue to monitor rental inflation data, and we welcome the RTB’s new powers to impose a fixed payment notice for certain breaches of rent rules starting from 14th September. They will provide an important new tool to drive compliance with rent-setting rules.  Since 1st March 2026, all landlords must provide the RTB and their tenant with a rent setting notice that explains how rent was set in line with national rent control rules. If a landlord fails to provide a rent setting notice, the RTB will identify this, and they will now face a fixed payment notice of €200 for each breach of rent rules.”

Commenting on the RTB / ESRI Rent Index, ESRI Research Officer Dr Rachel Slaymaker said:
“The sharp increase in new tenancy rent inflation in Q1 2026 coincided with the introduction of new rent-setting rules in March that allow rents to be reset between tenancies. It remains too early to know how much of this increase reflects an initial adjustment to the new rules, which for some landlords marked the first opportunity in many years to move rents closer to prevailing market levels, as opposed to a more sustained change in market dynamics.”