Shay Brennan (Dublin Rathdown, Fianna Fail)
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497. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will respond to concerns on the new rent pressure zone rules (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36179/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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On 10 June 2025, the Government approved stronger tenancy protections and greater certainty for the rental sector, including the introduction of a national rent control, as part of a suite of measures to boost the supply of new homes and secure and grow the availability of rental accommodation.

For new tenancies (i.e. first time tenancy between parties) created from 1 March 2026, a landlord will be allowed to set the rent to market value at the start of the tenancy and at the end of every 6-year period that the tenancy continues to exist. Rent re-setting will only be allowed if the previous tenant leaves of their own volition, has breached their tenant obligations or the dwelling is no longer suitable to the accommodation needs of the tenant household. This measure will also facilitate landlords to reduce rents for tenants if they wish, knowing they would be able to reset to the market rent at the start of a new tenancy.

In order to provide greater security of tenure to tenants, legislative changes will apply to significantly restrict ‘no fault evictions’. 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.

Smaller landlords will only be able to terminate a tenancy during the 6 year TMD in limited circumstances:

• where they face hardship, which will be defined in legislation (e.g. separation/homelessness/emigrant returning from abroad/bankruptcy);
• they require the dwelling for occupation by the landlord and/or an immediate family member (i.e. parent/child/spouse/civil partner).