Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context

66. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government his views on the increasing unaffordability of cost rental tenancies. [35825/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Cost Rental is a key element of the Housing For All strategy to improve affordability in the rental sector and to provide secure, long-term homes for moderate-income households. Though only introduced in 2021, delivery is accelerating, with over 3,600 homes already delivered by the end of 2024, and a substantial pipeline is now in place.

My Department is providing significant funding to delivery partners for cost rental. As well as making delivery viable, this state funding drives down rents. All cost rental projects must achieve cost-covering rents that are at least 25% below comparable market levels. All cost rental homes therefore present a significant saving to the tenant relative to new market rental properties.

Cost rents are different depending on the size of dwelling and location as these have different capital costs. As rents for cost rental homes are set according to the actual costs of delivering, managing, and maintaining the homes, recent inflation in costs has proven challenging.

All delivery partners are actively managing costs to ensure that these new homes are provided at the best rent possible. For example, last week I was at the launch of new cost rental homes being provided by South Dublin County Council, with support of just under €20m from my Department, at Innovation Square in Tallaght, with rents starting at €950 per month.

Cost rental units provide a significant saving for the tenant and I know that tenants who benefit from cost rental homes are very appreciative of both the rents and the security of tenure that these homes provide.

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)
Link to this: Individually | In context

68. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the action he will take to ensure that existing tenants with pre-March 2026 tenancies cannot be evicted, either between now and March 2026, or post-March 2026, so that landlords can reset the rent to market rates for new tenants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35888/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

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.

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 is being developed to provide stronger tenancy protections and allow rent resetting for new tenancies created (i.e. first time tenancies between parties) from 1 March 2026. With the exception of new build apartments, annual rent increases in all tenancies will be capped at the level of inflation, as measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) up to a maximum of 2%. For new build apartments, annual rent increases will be capped at the level of inflation (CPI).

For such tenancies, unless a 'no fault eviction' occurs, 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.

The risk of 'economic evictions' of tenants by landlords, motivated by a desire to reset the rent between tenancies, will be mitigated by the proposed stronger tenancy protections. Rent re-setting will only be allowed if the previous tenant leaves of their own volition, or 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 on/after 1 March 2026 by a smaller landlord (with 3 or fewer tenancies) with a new tenant. For larger landlords, it is intended that 'no fault evictions' will not be possible.

The Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) was established as a quasi-judicial, independent statutory body under the Residential Tenancies Acts 2004-2024 (the RTA) to facilitate the resolution of residential tenancy disputes and operate a national tenancy registration system. Along with the tenancy protection measures being introduced, my Department will engage with the RTB to identify any resource requirements to ensure the successful implementation of the new legal framework.

Legislation to give effect to these policy proposals is being prepared and will be published later this year.