1615. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he is aware of concerns raised by an organisation (details supplied) regarding the continued contraction of the private rental sector; his views on reports that recent increases in landlord registrations with the Residential Tenancies Board are largely attributable to regulatory changes requiring existing landlords to register for the first time rather than indicating an increase in rental supply; the measures being taken to address the reported increase in Notices of Termination and the loss of rental stock from the market; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55446/26]

Since 1 September 2004, landlords are required under the Residential Tenancies Act 2004 (the RTA) to register a tenancy within 1 month of its commencement.

Since 4 April 2022, landlords are also required to register their new and existing tenancies with the RTB every year, within one month of the anniversary of when the tenancy began. The requirement for annual registration of tenancies was introduced by the Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Act 2019.

Data published by the RTB shows that the number of registered private tenancies has increased steadily over the last few years, with a 16% increase between Q2 2023 and Q1 2026 (Private residential tenancies - data set - Residential Tenancies Board www.rtb.ie/data-insights/rtb-data-hub/profile-of-the-register/private-residential-tenancies-data-set/?_gl=1*11ikqcp*_up*MQ..*_ga*ODQ2NDk3MDc1LjE3ODQyMDcwODI.*_ga_SQ54Y7X4WL*czE3ODQyMDcwODEkbzEkZzEkdDE3ODQyMDcwODgkajUzJGwwJGgw.

Government remains focused on growing the supply of much-needed rental accommodation by keeping existing landlords in the market and attracting new landlords, while ensuring strong and balanced tenancy protections for both tenants and landlords. Delivering Homes, Building Communities recognises that the rental market is an important element of a well-functioning housing system.

On 1 March 2026, the Residential Tenancies (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2026 came into operation. The Act provides for a national rent control and significantly strengthens security of tenure for tenants. The new national rent control limits rent increases to inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) up to a maximum of 2%. For new build apartments and student-specific accommodation, however, rent increases are capped at the level of inflation (CPI) only.

The policy and legislative reform of the rental market was introduced to both protect tenants while also ensuring that the regulatory system will support investment in the rental market. This investment is key to increasing the supply of properties, and over time, reducing rents.

While the latest data published by the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) shows an increase in the number of Notices of Terminations (NoTs) received in Q1 2026, registered private tenancies rose by 2.44% annually to 246,477 in Q1 2026. This is an increase of 1.2% from Q4 2025. There were 16,548 new tenancy registrations confirmed for Q1 2026. This figure serves to highlight the consistent churn within the rental market. The latest RTB data also shows a growing number of landlords in the sector, the number of private landlords rose by 1.3% annually to 105,847, indicating increased participation in the rental market.