EXPLAINED: How will new rental changes affect Louth?

The Residential Tenancies Bill will come into effect on March 1st, and while the Government say it gives renter greater security, landlords say it could see rents increase by over 25%. 

What will the overhaul to the rental market mean for those in County Louth? 

- From March 1st, new tenancies will now have a six-year minimum duration.

- There are now stricter rules on how a landlord can end a tenancy.

 - Larger landlords (who have 4 or more properties) can no longer end a tenancy for any of these reasons:  

• Sell the property (though they can still sell it once the tenants remain living there)
• Move in themselves
• Move in a family member
• Renovate the property
• Change the use of the property

- Larger landlords can only end a tenancy during the 6-year period if: 

• The tenants are not meeting their obligations, such as paying rent
• The property is no longer suitable, for example, the property is now too small for a family or is not accessible

- Smaller landlords (3 or less) can only end the tenancy during the 6-year period if: 

• The tenant is not meeting their obligations, such as paying the rent
• The property is no longer suitable for the tenant, for example, the property is now too small for a family or is not accessible
• The landlord is experiencing hardship, for example, because of a separation, homelessness, bankruptcy or after returning to Ireland from abroad
• The landlord needs the property for themselves or an immediate family member to live in. In this situation immediate family members can be, the landlord's spouse, civil partner, child, stepchild, foster child, adopted child, parent, step-parent or parent in-law.

- Smaller landlords can end a tenancy after the 6-year period if: 

• They intend to sell the property
• They are substantially refurbishing or renovating the property
• They need the property for themselves or a family member to use. In this situation, a family member can be the landlord's spouse, civil partner, child, stepchild, foster child, adopted child, parent, step-parent or parent in-law, grandchild, grandparent, brother, sister, nephew or niece.
• They are changing the use of the property

- Rent increases:

• The entire country is essentially now a rent pressure zone, meaning rent increases during the tenancy is capped at 2% or at the rate of inflation
• So, for example, if a landlord reviews the rent every year and the rate of general inflation is 1.5%, then the rent can only be increased by a maximum of 1.5%.
• However, if the rate of general inflation is 3%, the rent can only be increased by a maximum of 2%.

- When can a landlord re-set the rent?

- For tenancies created on or after March 1st a landlord will be able to re-set the rent to market value, if the previous rent was below market value and:

• The tenant leaves the tenancy voluntarily
• The tenant breaks their obligations
• The home no longer meets the tenant's needs, for example, because it is too small
• The 6-year tenancy of minimum duration ends for a private rented tenancy
• 3-years has passed for tenancies in student-specific accommodation
• The property is a protected structure or proposed protected structure that has not been let in the previous year
• The property is not a protected structure and has not been rented out at any time in the previous 2 years
• The property had been substantially changed

- Market Rent: 

From 1st March 2026, landlords in Louth must now provide a rent setting or rent review notice to both the RTB and their tenant to explain how they determined the new rent level.

Landlords in Louth will be required to provide three examples of rents paid for comparable properties drawn from a new online tool, the RTB Rent Register.

A new RTB Rent Register will also go live on 1st March. The Rent Register draws on RTB tenancy registration data and is updated on a daily basis from the RTB’s tenancy registration system.

It allows landlords in Louth to search for rents paid for similar tenancies in the same Local Electoral Area as the tenancy they are setting rent for. They can enter details such as the dwelling type, floor area, number of bedrooms and BER rating, and the RTB Rent Register will return the results that most closely match their tenancy.