Rental availability in Ireland drops to record low in February

By Mehmet Solmaz

BIRMINGHAM, England (AA) - The supply of homes available to rent in Ireland plummeted to its lowest February level in at least two decades, while national rental prices continued to rise last year, according to the latest "2025 Q4 Rental Report" from property platform Daft.ie.

The annual analysis found that on Feb. 1, there were just 1,777 homes listed for rent nationwide, down 22% from the same date a year earlier and the smallest total in the series that dates back to 2006, the report showed. That figure is well below the previous low recorded in 2023 and represents less than half the typical supply seen in the mid-2010s.

Rental inflation also accelerated. Market rents nationally increased 4.4% in 2025, up from a 3.6% rise in 2024. Even with slower growth than during the pandemic-era spikes, rents remain far above historical benchmarks -- 34% above pre-COVID levels and nearly 80% higher than a decade ago, according to Daft.ie report, authored by economics professor Ronan Lyons.

The picture varied regionally. In Dublin, availability dropped sharply, with only about 859 homes on the market -- a 29% year-on-year decline and the lowest February figure on record. As supply tightened, rents in the capital rose about 3% during 2025, with room rents up nearly 5%.

Elsewhere, stock shortages were even more acute. Rental listings in cities such as Cork, Galway, Limerick, and Waterford were down roughly 70% compared with averages from 2015-2019, and rural regions, including Connacht-Ulster, saw even steeper contractions.

Daft.ie also reported that the average monthly rent for a two-bedroom apartment nationwide in the final quarter of 2025 was €2,086 ($2,457).