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'

Housing minister James Browne TD said the changes had strengthened tenants’ rights, with larger landlords prevented from issuing no-fault evictions. Picture: Leah Farrell / RollingNews.ie

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”.