There has been a 35% increase in termination notices issued by landlords to tenants in the third quarter of the year compared to the same period in 2024.
A total of 5,405 notices were issued in the third quarter of this year, between July and September.
Figures from the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) show that 61% of the notices were issued because the landlords plan to sell the property.
The trend comes ahead of new rental rules by Government, which are due to come into force in March of next year.
Under the new rules, landlords with more than three properties will only be able to evict in limited circumstances. For smaller landlords they will only be able to ask a tenant to leave if the owner of the property must sell due to financial hardship or if the property is needed for a relative.
The RTB data indicates smaller private landlords are leaving the market ahead of the new rules.
The RTB director Rosemary Steen said: “We are concerned about the trends in the data on notices of notices of termination and landlord number for 2025.”
But she added it was important to take a “measured view” and there were always landlords leaving the rental market.
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Minister for Housing James Browne said it was “important” to note the latest figures from the Residential Tenancies Board showed there was increase in overall tenancies despite the fall in landlords.
The latest RTB figures show the number of landlords with 100 or more properties has been increasing steadily.
The number of tenancies nationally rose by 1.9% annually and the number of tenancies registered in Dublin rose 4.3%.
Minister Browne said that the fall in number of landlords will not result in changes to the legislation he is introducing to the rental market.
The RTB also said new tenancy inflation had moderated from 5.5% in the previous two quarters to 4.7% in the second quarter of 2025.
A new study of specific properties within Rent Pressure Zones, as opposed to rents across the market, showed the average growth in rents was 2.15% nationally. This was down from 2.7% one year earlier.
Responding to the RTB figures, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said there is a higher number of tenenancies this year compared to last year.
He said there is a “natural churn” in relation to tenancies, adding that there may be “other factors” in the market more generally that relate to the increase in terminations.
The Taoiseach said the Government’s measures provide “long-term stability” to the rental market.
“And that will increase tenancies for the future and more investment critically from the private sector into the rental market, which is urgently required, particularly in the area of apartments.”
Mary Conway, Chairperson of the Irish Property Owners Association said: “It’s truly concerning to see landlord exits accelerating while the Government and RTB continue to downplay their impact on the rental market.
She added: “The incoming rental changes will decimate the private rental market and further alienate private landlords from Government.”
The new rental rules mean after March next year smaller landlords will have to offer new renters six year tenancies.
After 2032 those property owners will be able to reset the rent to a higher level beyond current restrictions for further six years.
There are also tighter restrictions limiting the circumstances under which landlords can sell.
That is prompting some to exit market now because of the Government’s changes.
The Social Democrats housing spokesperson Rory Hearne said: “The flood of evictions I warned about when the Housing Minister announced his chaotic and confusing changes to rent regulations have now come to pass.
“The changes have resulted in massive instability in the rental market and incentivised economic evictions in the run up to March next year, when landlords will be able to charge market rents for new tenancies,” he said.
Government abandoning ordinary people – Doherty
Sinn Féin has said today’s RTB figures show that rents are out of control as a result of Government policy.
Finance spokesperson Pearse Doherty cited the case of a couple in their 20s who have given up hopes of buying a home because of rising rents and they are now planning to emigrate to Australia instead.
He said this was the consequence of the Government abandoning ordinary people and letting the market run wild.
The Donegal TD said that rents need to be frozen for the next three years.
Tánaiste and Finance Minister Simon Harris accused Mr Doherty of selectively quoting statistics.
Mr Harris stated that 62% of properties nationally saw no rent increase in the last year, according to the RTB.
He also said the extension of rent pressure zones nationwide will offer tenants more protections.
Mr Harris conceded that there was a housing emergency, but added that there are signs of encouragement.
