Dublin Rental Market: The Demand Story Remains Strong

Ireland’s rental market continues to face a significant imbalance between supply and demand, and the latest Daft.ie Rental Report Q2 2026 highlights just how pronounced that imbalance remains.

While rental growth in Dublin has moderated, with market rents increasing by 0.8% during the second quarter, rents are still 6.5% higher year-on-year. The average monthly rent for a two-bedroom apartment in Dublin reached €2,551 during Q2, while rents across the capital remain 25% above pre-Covid levels.

For landlords and investors, however, perhaps the most important figure is not the rate of rental growth — it is availability.

On 1 August, there were just 1,123 homes actively available to rent in Dublin, an 18% fall on the previous year and the lowest August total since 2022. Availability remains 37% below the 2015–2019 average.

This lack of supply continues to underpin the rental market. Despite the recent moderation in rental inflation, there remains a very limited choice for tenants, particularly for well-located, good-quality accommodation close to the city centre.

The wider national picture reinforces the point. Nationally, rents increased by 1.4% in Q2 and remain 7.7% higher than a year earlier, while the number of homes available to rent is still 46% below the 2015–2019 average.
For investors, this makes well-located multi-unit properties particularly interesting. A property capable of providing several independent rental units offers diversification of rental income, while locations close to Dublin city centre continue to benefit from strong tenant demand.

The message from the latest Daft report is therefore fairly straightforward: rental growth may be slowing, but rental supply remains exceptionally tight.

For Dublin landlords, that shortage of available homes continues to provide a strong underlying foundation for the residential rental market.

Source: Daft.ie Rental Report Q2 2026, authored by Professor Ronan Lyons, Trinity College Dublin.