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

34. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the action he will take to protect students from rent increases when the planned new legislation comes into force; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35887/25]

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 to market value 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.

In order to provide greater security of tenure to tenants including private rental market, 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. For larger landlords, it is intended that 'no fault evictions' will not be possible.

I will continue to engage with the Office of the Attorney General and the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science during the drafting of legislation on the tailored arrangements to apply to student specific accommodation. Increasing the availability of suitable, financially accessible student accommodation is a key policy priority for Government and will be addressed in the new Student Accommodation Strategy, being developed by the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science for publication later this year. Affordability and equity will be at core of the Strategy.