Ireland Rental Market Tracker: rents, rental supply, tenancy changes, Notices of Termination and RTB disputes across Ireland.
The M10news Ireland Rental Market Tracker brings together official rental-market data to show how rents, supply and tenancy activity are changing across Ireland.
The tracker follows RTB/ESRI rents, new and existing tenancy rents, Dublin and regional trends, county-level data where available, registered rental supply, Notices of Termination and RTB dispute activity.
Data is updated as new official figures are published.
Ireland Rental Market: Latest Data
The Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) and Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) Rent Index tracks rents paid in registered private tenancies. Unlike advertised asking rents, the index is based on RTB tenancy-registration data and covers both new and existing private tenancies. The figures are standardised to account for differences in the characteristics of properties recorded in each period.
Latest RTB/ESRI rent figures — Q1 2026
| Rental measure | Average monthly rent | Annual change |
|---|---|---|
| New tenancies | €1,839 | +9.1% |
| Existing tenancies | €1,513 | +4.2% |
| Difference | €326 | — |
New-tenancy rents rose faster than existing-tenancy rents in the year to Q1 2026.
At €1,839 a month, the average new-tenancy rent was €326 higher, or about 21.6% above, the €1,513 average for existing tenancies.
The Q1 figures were published against the backdrop of significant changes to Ireland’s rental rules that took effect on 1 March 2026. The rent data itself shows the increase in new-tenancy rents; it does not by itself establish that the regulatory changes caused the increase.
New-Tenancy Rents
New-tenancy rents provide an important measure of the cost associated with entering a new registered private tenancy.
Q1 2026
| Measure | Ireland | Dublin | Rest of Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average rent | €1,839 | €2,335 | €1,486 |
| Quarterly change | +4.3% | +3.9% | +3.6% |
| Annual change | +9.1% | +7.8% | +9.0% |
The highest new-tenancy rent among the counties listed in the Q1 2026 data was Dublin at €2,335, while Leitrim recorded €1,040.
Among the counties listed, Clare recorded the fastest annual increase, at 19.1%.
The RTB’s Rent Index data is available from 2007 onwards, allowing current figures to be compared with longer-term rental-market trends.
National new-tenancy trend
| Period | Ireland |
|---|---|
| Q1 2026 | €1,839 |
| Q4 2025 | €1,764 |
| Q1 2025 | €1,686 |
| Q1 2026 annual change | +9.1% |
| Q1 2026 quarterly change | +4.3% |
Existing-Tenancy Rents
Existing-tenancy rents measure rents associated with continuing registered private tenancies.
They provide a different view of the market from new-tenancy rents because households remaining in a tenancy may face different rental changes from households entering a new tenancy.
Q1 2026
| Measure | Ireland | Dublin | Rest of Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average rent | €1,513 | €1,960 | €1,165 |
| Quarterly change | +0.7% | +1.0% | +0.2% |
| Annual change | +4.2% | +3.6% | +4.5% |
The national existing-tenancy figure was €1,513 per month, compared with €1,839 for new tenancies.
Dublin vs Rest of Ireland
The difference between Dublin and the rest of Ireland remains substantial.
For new tenancies in Q1 2026:
- Dublin: €2,335
- Rest of Ireland: €1,486
- Difference: €849 per month
For existing tenancies:
- Dublin: €1,960
- Rest of Ireland: €1,165
- Difference: €795 per month
There is also a difference in the pace of rental growth.
New-tenancy rents increased 7.8% year-on-year in Dublin, compared with 9.0% in the rest of Ireland.
That means the annual growth rate outside Dublin was higher than in the capital in Q1 2026, even though Dublin remained substantially more expensive in absolute terms.
County-Level Rental Data — Q1 2026
The RTB’s Average Rent Dataset provides rental information for locations where sufficient data is available. The RTB notes that a nil return can indicate insufficient data for a location.
Q1 2026 county rental tracker
| County | New-tenancy rent | YoY change | Existing-tenancy rent | YoY change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dublin | €2,335 | +7.8% | €1,960 | +3.6% |
| Cork | €1,678 | +12.9% | €1,259 | +4.3% |
| Galway | €1,718 | +10.7% | €1,303 | +3.3% |
| Limerick | €1,744 | +16.3% | €1,186 | +5.4% |
| Waterford | €1,371 | +8.4% | €1,011 | +4.2% |
| Kildare | €1,852 | +10.1% | €1,489 | +3.8% |
| Meath | €1,706 | +6.8% | €1,392 | +4.0% |
| Wicklow | €1,888 | +10.5% | €1,437 | +3.5% |
| Louth | €1,526 | +5.4% | €1,264 | +3.8% |
| Wexford | €1,231 | +3.7% | €1,023 | +3.9% |
| Tipperary | €1,204 | +7.8% | €937 | +5.8% |
| Donegal | €1,107 | +3.9% | €872 | +8.3% |
| Kerry | €1,311 | +5.0% | €1,048 | +6.7% |
| Mayo | €1,153 | +5.7% | €978 | +4.4% |
| Clare | €1,333 | +19.1% | €1,011 | +4.5% |
Source: RTB/ESRI Rent Index, Q1 2026.
Among the counties listed, Limerick recorded a 16.3% annual increase in new-tenancy rents, while Clare recorded the highest annual increase at 19.1%.
For existing tenancies, Donegal recorded an annual increase of 8.3% among the counties listed.
County comparisons should be read alongside the size and composition of the underlying datasets.
Quarterly Rental Market Changes
The Q1 2026 figures show a marked change in the pace of new-tenancy rent growth.
New-tenancy rents increased 9.1% year-on-year, compared with growth of 4.2% for existing tenancies.
The previous seven quarters had shown relatively stable national new-tenancy rent growth in the range of approximately 4.7% to 5.9% annually, according to the RTB/ESRI series.
Existing-tenancy growth of 4.2% in Q1 2026 was the lowest annual rate recorded since the existing-tenancy index began in Q2 2023.
The timing coincides with the introduction of new rental rules on 1 March 2026, but the Rent Index alone cannot establish a causal link between the regulatory change and the movement in rents. The tracker will therefore monitor subsequent quarters rather than attribute the change to a single factor.
Rental Supply
Rental supply is tracked separately from advertised properties.
The RTB’s Profile of the Register provides data on the size and characteristics of Ireland’s registered rental sector and is described by the RTB as its most authoritative and complete source for this purpose.
Q2 2026 registered rental sector
| Measure | Q2 2026 | Annual change |
|---|---|---|
| Registered private tenancies | 241,072 | +1.5% |
| Cost-rental tenancies | 6,186 | +82.5% |
| Approved Housing Body tenancies | 59,055 | +11.5% |
The 59,055 Approved Housing Body tenancies represented the highest level recorded since that data series began.
The increase in registered tenancies should not be interpreted as equivalent to an increase in properties currently available to rent. Registration data measures the registered rental stock and tenancy activity rather than live rental advertisements.
Notices of Termination
A Notice of Termination (NoT) is the formal notice used when a landlord ends a tenancy.
The RTB publishes NoT data by quarter and records the reasons given for ending tenancies. The current dataset covers Q3 2022 to Q2 2026.
Notices of Termination
| Period | NoTs received | Sale-related | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 2026 | 7,062 | 4,259 (60.3%) | +51% YoY |
| Q2 2026 | 4,031 | 2,023 (50.2%) | −42.9% QoQ; −14.7% YoY |
The 7,062 notices received in Q1 2026 were the highest quarterly figure in the series. The RTB recorded a substantial decline in Q2, when 4,031 notices were received.
The Q1 peak and Q2 decline may indicate that some notices were brought forward around the changes to rental law. However, that interpretation should be treated as a trend to monitor rather than an established explanation. The next quarters will provide more evidence about whether the Q1 increase was temporary or part of a longer-term change.
RTB Rental Disputes
RTB dispute applications provide another measure of activity within Ireland’s rental sector.
The RTB Data Hub says its dispute-resolution data shows who is applying for dispute resolution, why applications are being made and whether applications are increasing or decreasing.
Q1 2026
The RTB recorded 2,807 dispute applications in Q1 2026, an increase compared with the previous period.
The RTB’s May 2026 quarterly update also reported that dispute-resolution applications were 17.6% higher year-on-year in Q1 2026.
A confirmed Q2 2026 total is not included in this tracker until the underlying RTB figure can be verified.
This section will be updated when the next confirmed dispute dataset is available.
Historical Ireland Rental Market Data
The RTB/ESRI Rent Index provides historical rental data extending back to 2007. The RTB Data Hub provides downloadable datasets and charts covering the historical series.
M10news will add a dedicated historical table covering the long-term series once the underlying dataset has been extracted and checked.
This is important because historical comparisons should use the original RTB data rather than estimates reconstructed from individual reports.
The historical section will ultimately track:
- New-tenancy rents
- Existing-tenancy rents
- Dublin rents
- Regional rents
- County-level rents where available
- Annual and quarterly changes
- Long-term rental-market trends
How to Read the M10news Rental Tracker
The different datasets measure different parts of Ireland’s rental market.
RTB/ESRI Rent Index
Measures standardised rents associated with registered private tenancies.
New-tenancy rents
Shows the standardised rent associated with newly registered private tenancies.
Existing-tenancy rents
Shows the standardised rent associated with continuing private tenancies.
Profile of the Register
Shows the size and characteristics of Ireland’s registered rental sector.
Notices of Termination
Shows Notices of Termination received by the RTB and the reasons recorded for ending tenancies.
RTB dispute applications
Shows formal applications made through the RTB’s dispute-resolution service.
These measures should not be treated as interchangeable.
For example, an advertised asking rent on a property website is different from the standardised rent recorded by the RTB/ESRI Rent Index.
Data Sources
The M10news Ireland Rental Market Tracker primarily uses official data from:
- Residential Tenancies Board (RTB)
- Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI)
- Central Statistics Office (CSO) where relevant
- Other official Irish public-sector sources where appropriate
The RTB Data Hub brings together its major rental-sector datasets, including the Profile of the Register, RTB/ESRI Rent Index, dispute applications and Notices of Termination.
Where figures are updated, M10news will identify the relevant reporting period and source.
Latest Update
Last updated: September 2026
The tracker will be updated as new official rental-market data becomes available.
The RTB’s publication schedule lists 26 November 2026 as the next scheduled date for a Director’s Quarterly Update.
M10news will continue to track rents, rental supply, tenancy changes, Notices of Termination and RTB disputes across Ireland.
M10news Rental Market Tracker
Rents. Supply. Tenancies. Notices. Disputes.
A single place to follow how Ireland’s rental market is changing.
