Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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529. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government for clarification on the Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Bill 2025 (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34066/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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The Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Act 2025 was signed into law on 19 June 2025. The Act came into operation on 20 June 2025 to immediately extend and expand the operation of Rent Pressure Zones (RPZs) to cover the entire country until 28 February 2026.

Further legislation will be developed later in 2025 to give effect to the policy proposals recently announced by Government, to regulate rent increases nationally and to introduce stronger protection for renters. Under the policy proposals announced, stronger tenancy protections will apply to new tenancies created from 1 March 2026. These changes will significantly enhance the current provision of tenancies of unlimited duration with the introduction of tenancies of minimum duration (TMD), involving rolling 6-year tenancies, for any new tenancy created from 1 March 2026 by a smaller landlord (with 3 or fewer tenancies) with a new tenant. In limited circumstances during a 6 year TMD, a smaller landlord will be allowed to end a tenancy. A smaller landlord will also be allowed to terminate a tenancy using the limited grounds under section 34 of the Residential Tenancies Acts 2004 to 2025 (the RTA) at the end of each 6-year period while the tenancy continues to exist.

A number of provisions will apply to mitigate the impact of TMDs on smaller landlords. A smaller landlord will be allowed to terminate a tenancy at any time if:

• the landlord intends to sell the rented dwelling due to financial hardship (to be prescribed in law) and does not wish to do so with the tenant(s) in situ;
• the landlord requires the property for himself/herself or an immediate family member (spouse/civil partner, child or parent) to occupy as a principal private residence;
• The tenant is breaching his/her tenancy obligations; or
• The property is no longer suitable to the accommodation needs of the tenant household.

• the landlord intends to sell the property;
• the landlord/family member requires the property for occupation;
• the landlord intends to substantially refurbish/renovate the property; or
• the landlord intends to change the use of the property.