Emergency laws to extend rent pressure zones likely to be passed by Friday

Housing minister James Browne said it was a matter of 'priority and urgency' to extend rent pressure zones across the entire country. Picture: Leah Farrell/ RollingNews.ie

New emergency laws to extend rent pressure zones across the entire country are likely to be passed by Friday, the housing minister has indicated.

James Browne said it was his aim and hope the emergency laws would be in place by Friday, but it is in the hands of the Dáil and Seanad to do so.

He said it was a matter of “priority and urgency” to extend rent pressure zones across the entire country.

The change will prevent landlords from hiking rents by more than 2% per year.

The new laws will expand existing rent pressure zone protections to the approximately 17% of tenancies across the country which are not currently in rent-controlled areas.

Newly revised Dáil schedules for Wednesday show the Government is tabling the Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Bill 2025 to go through all of its stages that day.

It is expected the legislation will then move to the Seanad for further approval on Thursday, before the bill is signed into law by the president on Friday.

At present, landlords outside rent pressure zones are not restricted in how much they can increase their rent each year.

The changes to introduce a national rent pressure zone comes ahead of wider rental reform from the Government that is expected to come into effect on March 1, 2026.

The new proposals will allow for landlords to reset their rents either after six years or if a tenant voluntarily leaves the property.

“I do need the support and expect the support of the opposition to do this as well,” Mr Browne said.

“It’s really important and not something we play politics with.”

Sinn Féin’s housing spokesperson Eoin Ó Broin indicated his party would support moves to extend rent pressure zones across the entire country, but he has sought more time in the Dáil to discuss the legislation at committee stage.

Mr Ó Broin has also written to the chair of the Oireachtas housing committee, Fine Gael’s Micheál Carrigy, to seek a briefing from Custom House officials on the new laws.

A briefing note, supplied to TDs on the Dáil’s business committee, outlines the changes to introduce a countrywide RPZ will come into effect the day after the law is passed by the president.