Dundalk the only town outside Dublin with HAP options for families

The number of properties available to rent in Dundalk increased by more than 50% over the summer, but just three were within Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) limits, according to a new report.

The September 2026 Locked Out of the Market study, published by the Simon Communities of Ireland, found that 35 properties were advertised for rent in Dundalk during its three-day survey period.

This represents a 52% increase on the 23 properties recorded in the previous June 2026 study.

Of the 35 properties recorded in Dundalk, just three were available within HAP limits. This compares with no properties available within HAP limits in the June 2026 survey.

Dundalk was one of only two areas outside Dublin where the study found properties available within HAP limits. The other was Kildare, which had two.

Dundalk was the only location outside Dublin where the study identified accommodation available within discretionary HAP limits for households with children.

The findings showed that one property was available for a single person or couple, one for a couple or lone parent with one child, and one unique property suitable for a couple or lone parent with two children. The family accommodation categories also included an overlap in the properties counted.

None of the three properties was available within standard HAP limits.

Under the rates examined in the report, the standard monthly HAP limit for a single person or couple in Dundalk was €650, rising to €878 under the discretionary rate.

For a couple or lone parent with one child, the standard limit was €975, compared with a discretionary limit of €1,316. For households with two children, the respective figures were €1,050 and €1,418.

One-bedroom properties were advertised at between €850 and €1,995 per month, while two-bedroom accommodation ranged from €1,122 to €2,000.

Three-bedroom properties were priced between €1,407 and €2,750 per month.

The median advertised rent for a two-bedroom property was approximately €1,700, while the median for a three-bedroom property was €2,000.

The report recorded an average of 34 properties available to rent in Dundalk each day during the survey period.

There were between four and six one-bedroom properties available on the individual survey days, while the number of two-bedroom properties ranged from eight to 11. Three-bedroom availability was somewhat higher, with between 13 and 14 properties recorded.

Nationally, the report found 1,361 properties were available to rent at any price within the 16 areas surveyed over the three dates surveyed in September. This is an increase of 58 properties (4%) since June 2026 and an increase of 528 properties (63%) since September 2025.

This is the third Locked Out of the Market report to be conducted under the new legislative framework (Residential Tenancies (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2026) which came into effect on March 1st.

11 of the 16 study areas had no properties available within HAP limits. These include Athlone, Cork City Centre, Cork City Suburbs, Limerick City Centre, Sligo Town, Portlaoise and Waterford City Centre.

Four of the 16 study areas saw a reduction in the number of HAP properties available since the June 2026 report. These include Dublin City North (eight properties), Dublin City South (one property), Dublin City Centre (one property) and Kildare (one property).

As seen in many previous Locked Out of the Market reports, the supply of properties within any HAP limits are predominantly in Dublin. Seven (58%) of the 12 HAP properties were found across the three Dublin study areas.

Only two of the 13 study areas outside of Dublin had properties available to rent within HAP limits – these areas were Dundalk (three properties) and Kildare (two properties). 11 of the 16 study areas had no properties available within HAP limits, including Athlone, Cork City Centre, Cork City Suburbs, Galway City Suburbs, Galway City Centre, Co. Leitrim, Limerick City Suburbs, Limerick City Centre, Sligo Town, Portlaoise, and Waterford City Centre.

In Dublin, the discretionary rate allows up to an additional 50% on the standard rate; this is limited to 35% elsewhere in the country.

Ber Grogan, Executive Director at the Simon Communities of Ireland, said:

“We had hoped that Budget 2027 would finally deliver the long-awaited increase to HAP limits, but once again, there has been no change.

“Over the last ten years, rents have risen dramatically, becoming unaffordable for many households, while there’s been little change to HAP. As a result, people who rely on HAP are increasingly locked out of the private rental market, unable to secure a home they can afford despite having housing support in place. We see the impact of this every single day, across the country.

“Increasing HAP limits would be an immediate, practical step the Government could take to help people access housing. It is time for the Government to listen, act and ensure HAP reflects the reality of today’s rental market, while addressing the wider problem of unaffordable rents.”