The acting Environment Minister Alan Kelly is signing new regulations, which could see landlords taken to court if they try to evict tenants by claiming they are selling up - and then do not follow through.

The measure is designed at relieving the pressure on the rental market - particularly in Dublin, where both landlords and tenants are reporting incredible demand.

Back in 2006, rents were 2.8 times what they were in Leitrim - now it is over 3.7.

According to Daft.ie, between 2008 and 2012 there were an average of 5,2000 properties open to rent at any given time.

It has consistently fallen since then - now it is about 1,100 of all property types across County Dublin as a whole.

Reporter for the Pat Kenny Show, Richard Chambers, has been following one particular story of trying to find a place of your own in Dublin.

Ian is moving up to Dublin for a new job in communications, and had a couple of weeks to get a place.

He set himself a budget of €700 to €800, with parking needed.

Here is his reaction after a first viewing of a room in an apartment, in a rather modern area of Dublin's IFSC.

He expanded his search area, but was becoming frustrated with the 'females only' restriction put across a number of rooms.

On the landlord side of things, one man put up an ad for a two-bedroom cottage in Dublin's Ringsend. €1,400 was the asking price for monthly rent he set.

Within half an hour of putting the ad on a website, without photos, he was swamped with more than 200 e-mails and he had to pull the ad.

The man 'Tony' then sets up an hour-long viewing day on a Saturday.

He had a queue of at least 35 people around the corner and down the road, looking to get into the place - with many of them carrying envelopes.

This is not an isolated story. And Fintan McNamara of the Residential Landlords Association says he is not surprised.