Ireland housing affordability score cut after new-tenant rents jump 9.1%

We lowered Ireland's housing affordability score from 5.8 to 5.5 on Country To Live. The Residential Tenancies Board's Q1 2026 figures, presented on 3 September 2026, show new tenancy rents up 9.1% year on year to about €1,839 a month after landlords gained the right to reset rents to market rates between tenancies on 1 March.

This is an editorial score for people comparing countries on our site. It is not a Dublin rent forecast, and it does not mean every sitting tenant saw that jump.

Why we changed the score

• New lettings moved first. The Irish Times reported ESRI analysis of RTB data: new residential lettings rose 9.1% in January to March 2026. Existing tenancies rose a milder 4.2% to about €1,513, so the gap for people who have to sign a new lease widened.
• The spike lined up with the rule change. ESRI's Rachel Slaymaker described a small lift in January and February, then a March spike. Annual growth for new tenancies in late 2025 had been about 5.4% after seven calmer quarters. The March 1 package lets landlords reset to market between tenancies, with a 2% cap during new six-year minimum terms.
• This is not only a Dublin story. New-tenancy inflation hit 20.9% in Limerick city, 16.3% in Cork, 13.3% in Galway, 10.7% in Waterford, and 8.3% in Dublin. RTB director Rosemary Steen said nine counties saw new-tenancy rents rise more than 10% year on year.
• We kept the cut to 0.3. ESRI said it is early to call a long-term trend. Q2 eviction notices also fell after a record Q1 rush before the reforms. The move flags a harder landing for movers who need a fresh lease, without pretending Ireland's housing market collapsed overnight. Other Ireland scores stay put this round.

What the number means on our site

Housing affordability on Country To Live measures how reachable we think buying or renting a decent home looks for a typical mover. A 5.5/10 keeps Ireland in a tight band with other high-wage, high-rent English-speaking markets, and it now sits in line with our United Kingdom housing score.

Open the Ireland country page, compare Ireland vs the United Kingdom or Ireland vs Portugal, or browse all country scores if rent is your swing factor.

Before you plan a move

1. Budget for a new lease, not a sitting-tenant average. The €1,839 new-tenancy figure is the one that matters if you arrive without an existing Irish contract.
2. Check city, not only Dublin. Limerick, Cork, and Galway posted steeper year-on-year jumps than the capital in this release.
3. Score housing with jobs and tax. Use compare for Ireland if high tech wages still cover rent in your plan.

We will update again if later RTB quarters show new-tenancy inflation settling back, or if it stays near this pace through 2026.

This note explains our editorial scoring only. It is not legal or relocation advice.