Landlords issue 5,400 eviction notices as rent rules face fresh scrutiny

In total, 5,405 termination notices were recorded in the three months to the end of September. File photo: iStock

Tenant evictions have surged again, with new data showing a 35% annual jump in notices to quit as the rental watchdog insists Rent Pressure Zones are still containing rent inflation.

New figures from the Residential Tenancies Board show that terminations issued by landlords rose year-on-year to the end of September, marking a second major increase in successive quarters.

In total, 5,405 termination notices were recorded in the three months to the end of September, up 14.3% on the previous quarter, which itself had seen a 17.2% annual jump.

Termination numbers have climbed steadily since the short-term eviction ban lifted in March 2023, although debate continues over whether the trend indicates landlords exiting the market.

The official reason for 61% (3,307) of all notices last quarter was that landlords intended to sell their properties.

Rosemary Steen, RTB director, said she was “concerned” about the increase but urged a “measured view” of the wider picture.

“We know there are always landlords entering and leaving the rental market,” she said.

“At least 2,000 landlords end a tenancy with the intention to sell in every quarter, but this does not usually lead to a fall in registered tenancies,” Ms Steen said, while noting “big changes” in the profile of newer landlords amid the growing dominance of multi-property owners.

“The proportion of tenancies has now increased for 9 consecutive quarters to 14.2% today,” she said.

Separately, the latest RTB tenancy data supports the view that Rent Pressure Zones are curbing larger rent hikes, Ms Steen said.

Nationally, property-level rents grew by 2.15% on average in the three months to the end of September, down from 2.7% at the same point in 2024, according to an analysis by the Economic and Social Research Institute carried out with the RTB.

For existing tenants, rents grew 1.1% in RPZs to the end of March, compared with 2.9% in non-RPZ areas.

RPZs, introduced in 2016 in areas facing steep rent rises, cap annual increases at 2%. 

While Government had previously signalled plans to phase them out to encourage new rental supply, the entire country was designated as an RPZ at the end of June this year.

Addressing the new data, Ms Steen said RPZs have “been effective in moderating rent increases”.

“This reflects our experience that most landlords want to comply with rental law,” she said, adding that any breaches of RPZ rules have been pursued.