Key Takeaways
| Topic | Key Point |
|---|---|
| Evictions Rising | Eviction notices up 35% in Q3 2025, with 5,405 tenants told to leave |
| Small Landlords Leaving | Many are selling or handing properties to family ahead of new rules |
| New Rental Rules | Six-year leases, strict limits on ending tenancies, rent caps |
| Main Concern | Burden falling heavily on small landlords instead of the State |
| Deeper Issue | Years of underbuilding social housing created the current crisis |
| My Views | Mobilise the 14billion Apple Tax to address housing issues |
Summary of the Main Article
Kindly read the main RTE article HERE.
- Eviction notices rose by 35% in the third quarter of 2025 (compared to same time in 2024).
- 5,405 tenants were told to leave, mostly by small landlords who are selling or transferring the property to family members.
- New rules starting in March 2026 will require 6-year leases, allow very few reasons to end a tenancy, and limit rent increases to 2% or inflation.
- Small landlords say the new rules are too harsh and make renting “less attractive”.
- Opposition parties argue that rents are out of control and evictions are rising because Government policy is failing.
- The Government says most rentals saw no price increase last year and claims the reforms will help tenants in the long run.
- But the next few years may see more pressure, fewer landlords, and tighter supply.
1. Initial RPZ Reforms Came Too Late.
I have always agreed with rent pressure zones (RPZs) and minimum lease terms in principle.
Countries like Germany, Austria and the Netherlands have long-term rental agreements and housing systems that are more stable than Ireland’s. But the difference is simple and important – those countries built strong public housing systems first, while Ireland did not.
Rent caps work when they are introduced early and applied fairly.
- Unfortunately, despite introducing rent caps in 2016, Ireland only extended them nationwide in June 2025.
- Initial RPZs in 2016 excluded many high-demand areas for years, and also created numerous loopholes that were hard to enforce. As a result, the Government is now applying strong measures during a crisis, rather than using them as preventive tools.
Instead of preventing the crisis, the Government is now trying to slow it down. The timing alone shows how backwards this approach has been.
2. Why Small Landlords Shouldn’t Bear The Burden of Gov’t Failure
Data shows that:
- In the 1970s, councils built 6,000–8,000 social homes per year.
- In the 2010s, after the recession (2011-2016 especially), councils often built fewer than 500 social homes per year.
The State introduced the HAP Scheme in 2014 – thereby also transferring a huge part of the responsibility of social housing on to private landlords.
Even when Ireland had recovered from the 2008 recession, the State deliberately underbuilt social housing directly and depended on private renting to fill the gap. Private landlords, both big and small, were relied upon to provide homes because councils were not building enough for the population.
Now, these same small landlords are being punished because of the State’s own mistakes. I am not a landlord by any means, but this is unfair.
Small landlords are now facing strict long-term leases, fewer rights to end difficult tenancies, and further restrictions on traditional ownership freedoms. The Government is shifting the burden of its own past decisions on people who were never meant to carry it.
3. Why a 6-Year Lease Is Unreasonable for Ordinary Landlords
I understand the goal behind long leases; tenants deserve stability. But six years is a long time to lock someone into a contract, especially for a landlord with only one or two rental properties (i,e. 86% of landlords in Ireland).
A lot can change over six years:
- A landlord can lose their job
- They may need to sell
- A family member might need the home
- A tenant might become unreasonable or difficult
The new rules give very few options to end a tenancy before the six years are up. If a tenant becomes impossible to work with, the RTB process can take months and that is a huge risk for an ordinary homeowner.
Countries with strong tenant protections (e.g., Germany, Austria, Denmark):
- Usually have large, professional landlords,
- Strong arbitration systems that quickly address disputes OR
- Lower reliance on small landlords.
Ireland has none of those structures in place yet, but is trying to implement a model designed for countries that do.
A shorter, renewable lease, maybe 2 or 3 years would balance tenant security & flexibility for landlords. Right now, the balance just feels off.
4. The €14 Billion Apple Tax: A Missed Chance to Change Everything
Now, it is very easy for me to sit here and blame the government for its past mistakes and incompetence. That is a lot easier than actually being in office.
- But what if the coalition was given a new, clean slate?
- A rare once in a lifetime opportunity to end this housing crisis at ZERO cost to the taxpayer?
- A rare once in a lifetime opportunity to add significantly more social housing with ZERO obligations to lenders?
That is exactly the opportunity that the 14 billion Apple Tax Windfall received by the government in July 2025 presented. And they are about to blow it.
With that money, the Government can:
- Build, own and control tens of thousands of social homes using modular & MMC techniques
- Empower local councils to buy, restore and own relevant vacant buildings
- Improve Uisce Eireann’s infrastructure by contributing to its Leakage Programme.
- Reduce reliance on the private rental market and stabilise prices
- Give Irish residents long-term stability
Instead, all of that money now remains locked in the National Development Plan (NDP); a well-intentioned but unclear plan that focuses on long-term, less urgent infrastructure projects.
Final Thoughts
The new rental reforms may sound strong on paper, but they come at the wrong time and target the wrong group. I believe Ireland needs a balanced system that protects tenants without making small landlords feel cornered.
Most importantly, Ireland cannot rely on private renting to solve a housing crisis caused by years of underbuilding. The State must step up and build enough social and affordable homes.
All that can be done with the Apple windfall and a little political willpower.
The rental market cannot carry the weight of Government inaction forever. If Ireland truly wants stability, fairness and long-term solutions, then public housing, not just new rules, is the only way forward.
