Housing minister defends rental market changes as 'short-term challenge' after record rent rises

James Browne said the current rental market was a 'challenging situation' for renters, but if the Government did not act on reform, it would only have gotten 'worse and worse and worse'

Wed, 20 May, 2026 - 12:19

Tadgh McNally

Housing minister James Browne has defended the Government’s changes to the rental market, as new data shows rents rose at the highest rate on record at the start of 2026.

Mr Browne said the current rental market was a “challenging situation” for renters, but if the Government did not act on reform, it would only have gotten “worse and worse and worse”.

Rents increased by 4.4% for the first quarter of 2026, according to the Daft.ie rental price report. This is the highest quarterly increase recorded since the series began in 2002.

Reforms introduced by the Government in March allow for landlords to increase rents by 2% each year.

However, after a six-year tenancy is completed, or if a tenant opts to leave a property early, landlords are permitted to reset the rent to a market rate.

The housing minister defended the Government’s changes, saying it was necessary to increase the supply of properties on the rental market.

“If we didn't make changes, we weren't going to get the supply at all, not long-term, medium-term, or short-term,” Mr Browne said.

“We had to do something very important here to drive the supply, because we had seen the supply dry up.”

Renters face return to parents' box room due to eviction threat - SF claims

Notices to quit surge by 51% before rental law changes took effect

Mr Browne said rents had been going up “continuously” in the previous rental system, as well as people being unable to find a property to rent.

He said the changes had strengthened tenants’ rights, with larger landlords prevented from issuing no-fault evictions.

“We are seeing that supply moving, but I appreciate there is always going to be that short-term challenge, and in particular, some renters now are, I think, facing those challenges,” Mr Browne said.

But if we didn't make changes, we were never going to solve this housing crisis.

However, the rising rents stemming from the Government’s changes have been lambasted by the opposition, with Sinn Féin TD Eoin Ó Broin saying the Government had been warned this would happen.

In response, Mr Browne said: “'I told you so' is not going to build any homes anywhere in this country. Everything is now going in the right direction in terms of getting that supply going.

“You cannot solve the housing crisis, you cannot solve a homeless crisis, you cannot solve the rental crisis without more properties.”

Mr Browne said the Government was hearing a lot of criticism, but not a lot of solutions and accused the Opposition of having a weak response in its call for a rent freeze and an eviction ban.