Housing Minister Defends Rent Law Changes Amid Sharp Rise in Irish Rents

Dublin: James Browne has strongly defended the government’s new rent law amendments, despite rents in Ireland rising at their fastest pace in 25 years.

The housing minister argued that the government’s revised rent control measures are intended to increase the long-term supply of rental accommodation across the country.

The minister made the remarks while attending the sod-turning ceremony for a new housing development project in Tallaght. His comments came amid growing criticism from opposition parties over soaring rental costs and affordability pressures facing tenants.

New Rent Rules Introduced Nationwide

Under the revised legislation, which came into effect on March 1, annual rent increases for existing tenants remain capped at 2 percent or the rate of inflation, whichever is lower.

However, one of the key changes allows landlords in certain circumstances to charge market-rate rents for new tenants.

The legislation also introduced measures including a minimum six-year tenancy period for new rental agreements and tighter restrictions on so-called “no-fault evictions.”

Minister Browne said the reforms are designed to encourage investment in the rental sector and increase housing supply.

“The housing crisis cannot be solved without bringing more properties into the market,” the minister stated. “We are already seeing progress in house construction, planning permissions and first-time mortgage drawdowns.”

He added that the reforms were necessary to prevent a further reduction in rental supply.

“It is true that tenants may experience difficulties in the short term, but these reforms are essential for delivering a long-term solution,” he said.

Meanwhile, the latest report from Daft indicates that rents have surged sharply since the introduction of the new laws.

According to the report, rents across Ireland increased by 4.4 percent between December and March — the largest quarterly rise recorded since 2002.

The report also found that the average monthly rent for a two-bedroom property has now reached €2,176 nationwide, while rents for similar accommodation in Dublin city centre have climbed to €2,828 per month.

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