Landlords may be fined for breaking new restrictions – after rents increased by more than 10% in eight counties in the past year and evictions jumped by 17%, writes Muiris Ó Cearbhaill.

The Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) said yesterday it will be monitoring landlords, especially in Donegal, Kerry, Kildare, Laois, Roscommon, Monaghan and Tipperary, where there have been significant rent increases.

The government expanded rent pressure zone (RPZ) rules – preventing landlords from increasing rents by more than 2% a year – across the entire country at the end of June.

But right now, the RTB can only force landlords to return excess rent to tenants. The RTB believes it should be able to fine landlords who flout rules, with Louise Loughlin, its deputy director, saying: "We hope to gain new tools. One we are looking at is fixed penalties, which would allow us to enforce RPZ rules at a greater scale and pace."

According to the RTB’s second quarterly report, launched yesterday, she said they are discussing this with the Department of Housing. Regulators intervened in over 200 cases where landlords broke rules as of the middle of this year.

Nearly €105,000 was returned to tenants. Asked if compliance cases will increase, Loughlin said it was too early to say.

Rosemary Steen, RTB director, urged tenants to flag concerns and warned landlords the board can pursue criminal proceedings, threatening: "I’m asking landlords not to bring us into a situation where we have to bring you into compliance – because we will."

Most landlords approached by the RTB about breaches were quick to make amendments once notified, the RTB said. She reminded landlords they must abide by new RPZ rules. Meetings have been held between the regulator and property owners in recent weeks.

Rents for new tenancies rose by 5.5% a year as of the first quarter of this year, according to the RTB’s Rent Index.

Rachel Slaymaker of the Economic and Social Research Institute said rent inflation is, as predicted, slowing down in Dublin – but "eight counties experienced double-digit growth in new tenancy rents’.

Steen said: "Following the national extension of RPZs, we are targeting increased education and outreach activities in these new RPZ areas. We are also calling on landlords in all new RPZ areas to ensure they are informed about RPZ rules."

Average rents in Dublin for new tenancies reached €2,186 a month. Eviction notices to tenants jumped by 17% nationwide in the last 12 months.

14% of owners have 100+ properties

Almost 14% of Irish landlords own a hundred or more properties, the Rental Tenancies Board said yesterday.

And in the capital, that figure rises to more than 20% of landlords.

Nearly 400 landlords, the majority of whom owned only one property, left the market in the second quarter of this year but there is still a higher number currently in the market compared to the second quarter of 2024.

Among the controversial changes to rent controls, set to begin from March 2026, landlords will be permitted to increase rents to market value between tenancies.

In return, new tenants will have a seven-year eviction ban on new agreements from March next year. The RTB has requested IT system upgrades so it can closely track market activity.

(Pic: Getty Images)