Landlords who are “trapped” on submarket rents are being “punished in every way”, the Irish Property Owners Association has argued.
The Department of Housing has announced that on 1st March, tenants will gain enhanced security of tenure and the expansion of Rent Pressure Zones.
From 1st March, a landlord may not increase a tenant’s rent by 2% a year or the rate of inflation, if that is lower than 2%. Newly built apartments and student accommodation will be exempt.
On Newstalk Breakfast, Irish Property Owners Association spokesperson Mary Conway argued that the 2% rule is out of date.
“There are a lot of landlords trapped on 2015 rents from when the Rent Pressure Zones came in as a temporary measure and they're not in a position ever to raise the rents,” she said.
“So, a lot of these landlords are considering selling up because they're stuck in low rents.
“It's only kind of 2% a year [that they can raise it by].
“So, these are legacy, very low rents and costs and everything have gone up.”
Homes under construction in the town of Carrigaline. Picture by: David Creedon/Alamy.Ms Conway added that landlords are “part of the solution” to the housing crisis but the current system means they are being “punished in every way”.
It is, she believes, why some people think twice about renting out a property.
“There's very few landlords coming into the market,” she said.
“And particularly in rural areas, if a landlord leaves a rural area, they're not being replaced by another one.
“And so with inward migration and so many tenants out there, there's very little choice for tenants because the landlords are leaving.”
Builders at work. Picture by: Eamonn Farrell/RollingNews.ie.Ms Conway urged the Government to reconsider the reforms to tenancies, warning they may lead some landlords to sell up.
“We need reform, but we don't need to steamroll them in and push landlords out and leave even less choice for tenants,” she said.
Between September 2024 and September 2025, Daft.ie estimates that rents in Ireland increased by 4.3%.
All at a time when property prices rose by 7% and homelessness reached new records.
Main image: A man with keys. Picture by: Alamy.com.
