New renters paid €326 more per month than sitting tenants in early 2026, RTB figures show

New Irish tenants paid an average of €326 more per month than sitting tenants during the first quarter of 2026, Residential Tenancies Board data shows.

The figures, which cover January to March of 2026, show that the average national rent for new tenancies reached €1,839 per month. This represents a 9.1% increase compared to the same period in the previous year. Meanwhile, the average monthly rent for existing tenants rose by 4.2% year-on-year, reaching €1,513.

Rental increases were particularly pronounced in urban areas outside of Dublin. Limerick recorded the steepest rise at 20.9%, followed by Cork at 16.3% and Galway at 13.3%. Average monthly rents in Galway have now surpassed €2,000.

The Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) collected this data before the full impact of new government rent reforms was felt. Introduced in March, these reforms abolished the previous 2% rent cap that applied to new tenancies when a property became vacant. Under the updated regulations, landlords are permitted to charge market rates for new tenancies, which can result in differences of several hundred euros per month.

Since these figures only capture the period up to March, the gap between what new and sitting tenants pay is projected to have grown further in subsequent months. This expected widening is attributed to the relocation of tenants who received eviction notices during that timeframe.