Rent Pressure Zones
From Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage
Published on
Last updated on
A Rent Pressure Zone (RPZ) is a designated area where rents cannot be increased by more than 2% per annum pro rata (where general inflation is higher, as recorded by the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices (HICP)) or than the rate of inflation (per HICP), if lower. The RPZ rent increase restriction applies to new and existing tenancies (unless an exemption is being applied). Access further information on exemptions.
RPZs are located in parts of the country where rents are highest and rising, and where households have the greatest difficulty finding affordable accommodation.
Zone | Date | Legislation |
Cork City Council | 24 December 2016 | Section 24B of the Residential Tenancies Act 2004-2022 |
Dublin City Council | 24 December 2016 | Section 24B of the Residential Tenancies Act 2004-2022 |
Dun Laoghaire – Rathdown County Council | 24 December 2016 | Section 24B of the Residential Tenancies Act 2004-2022 |
Fingal County Council | 24 December 2016 | Section 24B of the Residential Tenancies Act 2004-2022 |
South Dublin County Council | 24 December 2016 | Section 24B of the Residential Tenancies Act 2004-2022 |
Ballincollig-Carrigaline, Co. Cork | 27 January 2017 | SI 18 of 2017 |
Galway City Central, Co. Galway | 27 January 2017 | SI 21 of 2017 |
Galway City East, Co. Galway | 27 January 2017 | SI 23 of 2017 |
Galway City West, Co. Galway | 27 January 2017 | SI 19 of 2017 |
Celbridge-Leixlip, Co.Kildare | 27 January 2017 | SI 22 of 2017 |
Naas, Co. Kildare | 27 January 2017 | SI 20 of 2017 |
Kildare – Newbridge, Co. Kildare | 27 January 2017 | SI 29 of 2017 |
Ashbourne, Co. Meath | 27 January 2017 | SI 27 of 2017 |
Laytown-Bettystown, Co. Meath | 27 January 2017 | SI 28 of 2017 |
Rathoath, Co. Meath | 27 January 2017 | SI 26 of 2017 |
Bray, Co. Wicklow | 27 January 2017 | SI 25 of 2017 |
Wicklow Town | 27 January 2017 | SI 24 of 2017 |
Cobh, Co. Cork | 30 March 2017 | SI 113 of 2017 |
Maynooth, Co. Kildare | 30 March 2017 | SI 109 of 2017 |
Drogheda, Co. Louth | 20 September 2017 | SI 402 of 2017 |
Greystones, Co. Wicklow | 20 September 2017 | SI 401 of 2017 |
Limerick City East | 28 March 2019 | SI 121 of 2019 |
Navan, Co. Meath | 28 March 2019 | SI 122 of 2019 |
Ardee, Co. Louth | 2 July 2019 | SI 308 of 2019 |
Arklow, Co. Wicklow | 2 July 2019 | SI 309 of 2019 |
Athenry – Oranmore, Co. Galway | 2 July 2019 | SI 310 of 2019 |
Athlone, Co. Westmeath | 2 July 2019 | SI 311 of 2019 |
Dundalk – Carlingford, Co. Louth | 2 July 2019 | SI 312 of 2019 |
Dundalk South, Co. Louth | 2 July 2019 | SI 313 of 2019 |
Fermoy, Co. Cork | 2 July 2019 | SI 314 of 2019 |
Gorey, Co. Wexford | 2 July 2019 | SI 315 of 2019 |
Gort – Kinvara, Co. Galway | 2 July 2019 | SI 316 of 2019 |
Graiguecullen – Portarlington, Co. Laois | 2 July 2019 | SI 317 of 2019 |
Kells, Co. Meath | 2 July 2019 | SI 318 of 2019 |
Kilkenny City | 2 July 2019 | SI 319 of 2019 |
Limerick City North | 2 July 2019 | SI 320 of 2019 |
Limerick City West | 2 July 2019 | SI 321 of 2019 |
Midleton, Co. Cork | 2 July 2019 | SI 322 of 2019 |
Portlaoise, Co. Laois | 2 July 2019 | SI 323 of 2019 |
Trim, Co. Meath | 2 July 2019 | SI 324 of 2019 |
Waterford City East | 2 July 2019 | SI 325 of 2019 |
Waterford City South | 2 July 2019 | SI 326 of 2019 |
Carlow Town | 26 September 2019 | SI 478 of 2019 |
Macroom, Co. Cork | 26 September 2019 | SI 479 of 2019 |
Baltinglass, Co. Wicklow | 18 December 2019 | SI 644 of 2019 |
Cobh (to include Watergrasshill), Co. Cork | 18 December 2019 | SI 645 of 2019 |
Piltown, Co. Kilkenny | 18 December 2019 | SI 646 of 2019 |
Sligo-Strandhill, Co. Sligo | 18 December 2019 | SI 647 of 2019 |
Athy, Co. Kildare | 22 April 2020 | SI 136 of 2020 |
Killarney, Co. Kerry | 22 April 2020 | SI 137 of 2020 |
Mallow, Co. Cork | 22 April 2020 | SI 138 of 2020 |
Mullingar, Co. Westmeath | 22 April 2020 | SI 139 of 2020 |
Tullamore, Co. Offaly | 22 April 2020 | SI 140 of 2020 |
Bandon-Kinsale, Co. Cork | 16 July 2020 | SI 247 of 2020 |
Administrative Area of Kildare County Council | 29 Sept 2020 | SI 380 of 2020 |
Westport, Co. Mayo | 28 June 2023 | SI 333 of 2023 |
Ennis, Co. Clare | 31 August 2023 | SI 430 of 2023 |
Administrative Area of Kilkenny County Council | 31 August 2023 | SI 431 of 2023 |
Administrative Area of Limerick City & County Council | 31 August 2023 | SI 432 of 2023 |
Administrative Area of Waterford City & County Council | 31 August 2023 | SI 433 of 2023 |
Shannon, Co. Clare | 30 November 2023 | SI No. 578/2023 |
Administrative Area of Westmeath County Council | 30 November 2023 | SI No. 579/2023 |
Administrative Area of Galway County Council | 12 September 2024 | SI 455 of 2024 |
Carrigaline, Co. Cork | 12 September 2024 | SI 456 of 2024 |
*Cobh LEA was originally designated as an RPZ on 24 March 2017. The boundary of the Cobh LEA changed in the beginning of 2019 to include the ‘Watergrasshill’ area of Cork and was subsequently designated on 18 December 2019.
Section 24A of the Residential Tenancies Act 2004, as amended, sets out the procedure for the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to prescribe, by order, an area as a Rent Pressure Zone (RPZ). It provides that the Housing Agency, in consultation with the relevant housing authority, may make a written proposal to the Minister that an identified area be prescribed as a RPZ. Within 1 week of receipt of such a proposal, the Minister shall request the Director of the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) to furnish him, within 2 weeks, with a Rent Zone Report on whether the proposed area satisfies the criteria specified in subsection 24A(4) for designation as a RPZ.
For the purpose of the Act, ‘area’ is defined as either the administrative area of a housing authority or a local electoral area (LEA) within the meaning of section 2 of the Local Government Act 2001. There is no provision for any other type of area to be designated as a RPZ.
Prior to 4 June 2019, the criteria to be satisfied by an area under section 24A(4) of the Residential Tenancies Acts for designation as a RPZ was as follows:
Therefore, the annual rate of rent inflation in the area must have been 7% or more in 4 of the last 6 quarters; and the average rent for tenancies registered in the area with the RTB in the last quarter must be above the Rent Index national standardised rent in the last quarter.
The Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Act 2019 introduced new provisions in respect of the average rent qualifying criterion for RPZ designation with effect from 4 June 2019.
Using RTB data:
Table 8 of the report illustrates the recent rent changes at Local Electoral Area (LEA) level. For each LEA, Table 8 outlines the number of quarters within the last 6 Quarters where the annualised rent increases have been greater than, or equal to, 7% and how rent levels in each LEA compares to the relevant standard reference average rent from the RTB Rent Index Report.
A Rent Pressure Zone calculator is available on the RTB website to assist landlords and tenants in determining if their dwelling is in a RPZ and to calculate the maximum rent amount permitted for their dwelling.
Section 24A(5) of the Acts states –
‘Where the Minister [for Housing, Local Government and Heritage] receives a rent zone report from the Director [of the RTB] and the report confirms that the criteria in subsection (4) are satisfied, the Minister shall by order prescribe the area as a rent pressure zone for a specified period not exceeding 3 years.’
Section 24A(6) of the Acts states –
‘Where a local electoral area is prescribed by order [i.e. RPZ designation order by the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage] as a rent pressure zone and, subsequently, any local electoral areas are duly amended in a manner that affects the area of the local electoral area so prescribed, then the order shall continue to have effect as if the local electoral area concerned had not been so amended.’
The Housing Agency will continue to monitor the rental market and may recommend further areas for designation. Where, following the procedures set out in section 24A of the Acts, it is found at a future date that additional areas meet the criteria, they will be designated as RPZs.
The Law Reform Commission has produced an administrative consolidation of the Residential Tenancies Act 2004.