In line with a commitment in Housing for All, a review of the Private Rental Market was undertaken by my Department and published in July 2024, which included significant consultation with stakeholders. It sets out an overview of the rental market in Ireland including the composition of the market and trends in rent levels, sets out suggested policy objectives and considers a range of and potential avenues for policy change to support these objectives.
Following on from this review, the Housing Agency was commissioned to undertake a comprehensive review of the current system of rent controls using RPZs. The key focus of the review was to assess the operation of RPZs since their introduction and consider their impact on the market and relevant stakeholders, including the retention of landlords and new investment. It considered whether RPZs should continue without change or be removed, modified or replaced. The review, which was extensive and detailed, also included options and recommendations in relation to potential amendments to rent control.
The review, published on the Housing Agency website, involved engagement with a wide variety of stakeholders, including investors, representatives of landlord and tenant advocacy groups, academics and the RTB. The Housing Agency submitted its report to my Department at the end of April and advised that its preferred recommendation was to modify the current RPZ rent controls.
On 10 June 2025, the Government approved policy measures including modifications to rent controls to come into effect on 1 March 2026 in order to boost investment in the supply of homes available for rent and keep existing landlords in the market. The changes agreed will also provide significantly stronger tenancy protections and are finely balanced between the interests of tenants and the need for further private investment in the rental market across the country, taking account of stakeholder engagement.
Multiple expert reports, including those from the Housing Agency, the Department of Finance, the ESRI, the OECD, and the IMF, agree that the current RPZ system is a major obstacle to increasing rental supply. These changes are being introduced in order to attract increased investment in the rental market and thereby increase the supply of properties available for renters.
My Department consulted extensively with the Office on the Attorney General in relation to the proposed amendments to the Residential Tenancies Acts. On 14 October 2025, Government approved the General Scheme of the Residential Tenancies (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2025. As part of the legislative process, the pre-legislative scrutiny report has recently been produced by the members of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage and has been issued to my Department for consideration.
The text of the Bill will be finalised for publication as soon as possible.
