Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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1279. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the reason the extension of rent pressure zones announced on 10 June 2025 was not given legal effect until 20 June 2025; if he will publish the Departmental advice he received warning of risks to tenants during this gap; and the monitoring the Department undertook of rent increases in non-RPZ areas during that period. [46924/25]

Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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1280. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he has assessed the risk that the new “reset to market rent” provisions will incentivise economic evictions; the safeguards in place to prevent abuse of this provision; and if he will consider mandatory proof-of-market requirements and strengthened penalties for landlords found to be misusing resets. [46925/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1279 and 1280 together.

On 10 June 2025, the Government approved stronger tenancy protections and greater certainty for the rental sector including:

- policy measures to provide for the enhancement of rent controls and tenancy protections for new tenancies created (i.e. first time tenancy between parties) from 1 March 2026;

- the preparation of Heads of a Bill as a basis for the priority drafting of necessary legislative amendments to the Residential Tenancies Act 2004 (the RTA) to take effect in March;

- the expansion and extension of RPZs to cover the entire country until 28 February 2026 (as an interim measure, pending the implementation of the necessary legislation from 1 March 2026).

Further information is available here: .

The new measures have been informed by the findings of the Housing Agency Review of Rent Pressure Zones (RPZs) and Potential Policy Options and its preferred recommendation to modify the existing operation of the current RPZ rent controls. The report can be accessed here: housingagency.ie/publications/review-rent-pressure-zones-report. 

In order to boost the supply of homes available for rent, the Government approved modifications to rent controls, to come into effect on 1 March 2026. The changes will 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.

On 17 June 2025, the Government approved the publication of the Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Bill 2025 for priority enactment to expand and extend RPZs until March. The Bill moved very swiftly through the Houses of the Oireachtas and following an early signature by the President on 19 June, the Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Act 2025 came into operation on 20 June 2025 to control rent inflation across the country until March 2026. 

It is not practice to publish Memoranda for Government or underpinning policy and legal advices.

Under the forthcoming legislation from 1 March 2026, the risk of 'economic evictions' of tenants by landlords, motivated by a desire to reset the rent between tenancies, will be mitigated by stronger tenancy protections. The legislation will include safeguards to ensure that a rent cannot be reset unless a renter chooses to leave, has breached their tenant obligations or the dwelling is no longer suitable to the accommodation needs of the tenant household. The Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) is working with the Department to ensure any unlawful practice is tackled through its dispute resolution or sanctioning processes. Anyone who thinks they may be a victim of unlawful eviction can contact the RTB.

Section 19(1) of the RTA prohibits the setting of a rent that exceeds market rent. In general, a rent in respect of a dwelling cannot be reviewed more frequently than annually. In reviewing a rent, a landlord must complete a Notice of Rent Review - rtb.ie/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Notice_of_Rent_Review_Form.pdf -  which must be served on the tenant at least 90 days before the new rent becomes payable and requires details of the rent last set for the dwelling. A landlord must include details of 3 comparable rents in the Notice of Rent Review.

A landlord who does not comply with the RPZ rules when setting a new rent under the RTA shall be guilty of an offence. Section 9 of the RTA provides that a person (landlord/tenant) guilty of an offence shall be liable on summary conviction to: 

• a Class B fine of between €2,500 and €4,000;
• imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months; or both.

Where a tenant is unsure as to the validity of a Notice of Rent Review served, he or she may refer the matter to the RTB for dispute resolution under Part 6 of the RTA, with redress available to the tenant and may include a direction to pay a refund of any unlawful rent amount paid and an amount of damages.

The market rent for a tenancy of a dwelling, means the rent which a willing tenant not already in occupation would give and a willing landlord would take for the dwelling, in each case on the basis of vacant possession being given, and having regard to—

(a) the other terms of the tenancy, and

(b) the letting values of dwellings of a similar size, type and character to the dwelling and situated in a comparable area to that in which it is situated.

Under section 76 of the RTA, a tenant can refer a dispute with regard to the amount of a rent set to the RTB for resolution.

Since 1 July 2019, the RTB is empowered under Part 7A – Complaints, Investigations and Sanctions – of the RTA to investigate improper conduct by landlords and to impose sanctions, where appropriate. The RTB has the power to impose sanctions if improper conduct by a landlord is found to have occurred, ranging from a formal written caution and/or a fine of up to €15,000 and/or costs up to €15,000.

The operation of the RTA, the residential rental market and the RTB are kept under constant review by my Department to ensure that they are fit for purpose.

Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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1281. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will provide an update on the level of proactive enforcement carried out by the Residential Tenancies Board on rent pressure zone compliance since June 2025; the number of sanctions imposed; and his plans to strengthen Residential Tenancies Board resources to allow for rolling compliance inspections, rather than relying on tenant-led complaints. [46926/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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The Residential Tenancies Board, (RTB), was established as a quasi-judicial independent statutory body under the Residential Tenancies Acts 2004-2025 to regulate the rental sector; provide information to tenants and landlords; maintain a national register of tenancies; resolve disputes between tenants and landlords; and conduct research and provide information to inform policy.

Compliance with rental law and its enforcement is an operational matter for the RTB and as such my Department does not hold the details sought. However, arrangements have been put in place to facilitate the provision of information by State Bodies to members of the Oireachtas. The RTB has set up a dedicated email address for this purpose and may be contacted at OireachtasMembersQueries@rtb.ie  to establish the extent to which it may hold the information sought.

Following recommendations in the RTB Workforce Plan, and engagement with the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitisation, the RTB received sanction for significant additional staff over recent years. 

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. At this time, the Government noted that the RTB would require additional resources for enforcement to ensure successful implementation of the agreed measures. My Department is engaging with the RTB to ensure that it is sufficiently resourced to deliver on its current and future mandate.

My Department will work with the RTB to keep the operation of the RTB, the RTA and the residential rental sector under constant review to ensure that an appropriately balanced policy and legislative framework is maintained and effectively implemented and enforced by the RTB.