New rent rules took effect for all new tenancies on 1 March 2026, marking one of the most significant overhauls of Ireland’s private rental sector in recent years.
The Residential Tenancies (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2026, signed into law this week, introduces sweeping changes to how rents are set, how long tenancies last and the circumstances under which landlords can end them.
The Government says the reforms will strengthen security for renters while encouraging more landlords and investment into the market. Opposition parties, however, warn the changes could drive rents higher and push more households into emergency accommodation.
Here is what is changing and what it means for tenants and landlords.
What changes for renters?
The first key point is that the new framework will not affect existing tenancies. Anyone currently renting under an agreement in place before 1 March 2026 will remain under the previous system.
The updated rules apply only to tenancies created on or after 1 March.
From that date, all new tenancies will have a minimum duration of six years, significantly extending security of tenure.
Landlords will also be permitted to reset rents to “market rent” at the start of a new tenancy. Market rent refers to the average rate being achieved by comparable properties in the same area.
If a landlord resets the rent at the beginning of a new tenancy, they may still carry out annual rent reviews. However, any increase after that will be capped at either 2% or the rate of inflation whichever is lower at the time of review.
What is the Rent Price Register?
Alongside the legislative changes, the Department of Housing has confirmed that the long-awaited Rent Price Register will launched on 1 March.
The online tool will provide detailed information on rental prices across the private sector, along with key property characteristics. It will update automatically on a daily basis to ensure that market data reflects current conditions.
Landlords will be required to use the register when setting or reviewing rents. They must effectively self-assess whether the rent being charged aligns with prevailing market rates.
How can landlords reset rents?
If a landlord wishes to reset a rent to market level either at the start of a new tenancy or after a six-year tenancy has concluded they must input specific details into the Rent Price Register.
These details include the dwelling type, floor area in square metres, the Eircode, number of bedrooms and the property’s Building Energy Rating (BER).
The register will then generate ten comparable properties that match those criteria, displaying the rent being charged in each case.
From that list, the landlord must select three properties as supporting evidence to demonstrate that the proposed rent does not exceed the market rate.
Importantly, landlords cannot reset rents to market levels for tenancies that began before 1 March 2026.
What about evictions?
Evictions will still be permitted under the new system, but the grounds for doing so differ depending on whether a landlord is classified as “small” or “large”.
A smaller landlord is defined as someone who owns three or fewer rental properties. A larger landlord owns four or more.
Larger landlords
Larger landlords will face tighter restrictions. They may only end a tenancy where:
- The tenant breaches their obligations, such as failing to pay rent; or
- The property is no longer suitable for the tenant’s needs, for example if it is too small for a growing family.
They will not be allowed to terminate a tenancy in order to move themselves or a family member into the property. Nor can they evict tenants simply to sell or renovate the dwelling.
Smaller landlords
For smaller landlords, the rules are more flexible but still limited particularly during the six-year minimum tenancy period.
Within that six-year term, a smaller landlord may only evict if:
- The tenant breaches their obligations;
- The property is no longer suitable for the tenant;
- The landlord is experiencing financial hardship and needs to sell the property to secure a principal private residence, repay a legally owed debt in full, make a payment of at least 15% of the asking price within nine months of the tenancy ending, or following the appointment of a personal insolvency practitioner due to bankruptcy; or
- The landlord requires the property for their own use or for an immediate family member. Immediate family includes a spouse or civil partner, child, stepchild, foster child, adopted child, parent, stepparent or parent-in-law.
After the six-year minimum tenancy expires, smaller landlords may also end a tenancy if they intend to sell the property, substantially refurbish or renovate it, change its use, or require it for themselves or a broader category of family members. In these cases, the definition of family expands to include grandchildren, grandparents, siblings, nieces and nephews.
What is the Government saying?
The Government maintains that the reforms strike a balance between tenant protection and market viability.
Ministers argue that stronger security of tenure combined with clearer rent-setting mechanisms will encourage landlords to remain in or re-enter the market, ultimately increasing supply.
In an interview with RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, Housing Minister James Browne said he “certainly expects rents to fall” as a result of the changes, though he did not provide a timeline.
He described Ireland’s housing crisis as fundamentally a supply crisis, arguing that boosting availability is the only sustainable route to affordability.
According to Browne, previous rent controls were overly restrictive and temporary in nature, discouraging investment without preventing rents from rising. He said the new measures represent a more balanced approach that controls rents while encouraging additional housing supply.
When pressed on whether there was any guarantee the changes would increase supply or reduce rents, he said the alternative inaction would inevitably lead to rising rents and stagnant supply.
What are opposition parties saying?
Opposition parties have strongly criticised the legislation.
Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald described the move to allow rents to be reset to market rate as a “hammer blow” for renters and a benefit to large landlords and investment funds.
She argued that with approximately 25% of tenancies classified as new leases, many renters particularly those who move frequently for education or work would see little practical benefit from six-year tenancies.
Labour’s Conor Sheehan warned that the changes provide landlords with a “fresh opportunity” to significantly increase rents, predicting severe consequences for tenants.
Social Democrats TD Cian O’Callaghan expressed concern that corporate landlords could use the reforms to acquire a larger share of housing stock rather than meaningfully expanding supply.
As the new system comes into force, its impact will be closely watched by tenants, landlords and policymakers alike particularly amid continuing pressure on rents and record levels of demand in the housing market.
