Renting in Dublin: how it works for Australians

Finding a place in Dublin is a contact sport. The good news: once you're in, Irish law now gives tenants real protection on rent rises and evictions.

The short version

The average rent for a new tenancy in County Dublin was €2,335 a month in the first quarter of 2026, up 7.8% on a year earlier [1].
A landlord can't ask for a deposit of more than one month's rent [2].
For tenancies that started on or after 1 March 2026, yearly rent rises are capped at 2% or inflation, whichever is lower, across the whole country [3][4].
After six months without a valid notice to leave, a new tenancy becomes a six-year tenancy that renews in cycles [4].
Every private tenancy must be registered with the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB), which also runs the dispute service [5].

What renting costs, by area

The RTB publishes a rent index built from registered tenancies, which is more reliable than asking prices on listing sites. Here's what it showed for new tenancies in early 2026 [1].

Area or property type	Average new rent per month (Q1 2026)
County Dublin, all properties	€2,335
Dublin apartments	€2,300
Dublin houses	€2,601
Two-bed apartment, Dublin	€2,405
Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown	€2,629
Stillorgan local area (highest in Dublin)	€2,975
Dublin City Council area	€2,301
Fingal	€2,269
South Dublin	€2,267

People on existing leases pay less. The Dublin average for existing tenancies was €1,960, which shows how much rents jump when a property changes hands [1].

What that means in real life

Most Australians arriving on their own start in a house share. A room in Rathmines, Ranelagh, Phibsborough or Drumcondra is the usual first move, and couples often look further out along the Luas Green Line or the DART. Fingal, in the north of the county, saw the fastest growth in new rents in the year to early 2026, at 10.4% [1], so "cheaper" suburbs aren't staying cheap.

How a Dublin tenancy works

Registration

Landlords must register every tenancy with the RTB [5]. That matters to you because the register records the rent, and the RTB's dispute service is open to tenants of registered tenancies. Ask your landlord for the registration details once you've moved in.

The deposit

The RTB is clear: a landlord can't ask for a deposit of more than one month's rent [2]. Get a signed, dated receipt. At the end of the tenancy the deposit should come back "as soon as possible", though the landlord may need time to inspect [2]. They can only keep money for:

rent you still owe
bills you were responsible for
damage beyond normal wear and tear
not giving proper notice, or leaving a fixed-term lease early [2]

Take dated photos of every room when you move in. It's the cheapest insurance you'll ever buy.

Rent rises under the 2026 rules

Ireland scrapped Rent Pressure Zones and moved to national rent control for private tenancies [3]. For most tenancies, any yearly increase is capped at the lower of 2% or CPI inflation [4]. With Irish CPI running at 4.1% in September 2026 [6], that means the 2% cap is the one that bites right now.

A few things to know:

Landlords can review rent only once a year, and must give you at least 90 days' notice of an increase [7].
Newly built apartments with a commencement notice dated on or after 10 June 2025 are only capped by CPI, not the 2% limit [4].
Landlords can reset to market rent between tenancies only in certain situations, such as when the previous tenant left by choice. They must justify the new rent using the RTB rent register [3][4].
Since 14 September 2026 the RTB can issue €200 fixed-payment notices to landlords who set rent above the legal limit [8].

Security of tenure

For tenancies created from 1 March 2026, once you've been in for six months without a valid notice of termination, the tenancy runs for six years and renews in six-year cycles [4]. During that time a landlord can only end it for set reasons. Larger landlords, meaning four or more tenancies or any company, have the fewest options [3][4]. In your first six months, though, a landlord can end the tenancy for any reason [3], so don't get too comfortable straight away.

Giving notice when you leave

Tenants must give written, signed and dated notice. The required period depends on how long you've lived there [9].

How long you've rented	Notice you must give
Under 6 months	28 days
6 months to 1 year	35 days
1 to 2 years	42 days
2 to 4 years	56 days
4 to 8 years	84 days
8 years or more	112 days

If you're on a fixed-term lease and leave early without a break clause or the landlord's agreement, you could lose your deposit or owe rent for the rest of the term [9]. Read the lease before you sign it, not when you're booking a flight home.

How to find a place, step by step

Line up your paperwork first. Have your passport, a reference from a previous landlord or agent in Australia, an employer letter and recent payslips or bank statements as PDFs ready to send.
Set alerts and move fast. Good rooms go within hours. Respond politely and quickly, and say when you can view.
Always view in person. Or send a friend you trust. Never pay anything for a place you haven't seen.
Check the landlord. Ask for their name and the RTB registration once you've agreed. Be wary of anyone who is "overseas" and wants money transferred before handing over keys.
Pay the deposit, get a receipt. No more than one month's rent [2], and get it in writing.
Document the condition. Photos and a short written inventory, emailed to the landlord on day one.
Ask how the rent was set. You're entitled to know the last rent and how it was calculated [7]. Compare it on the RTB rent register.

When things go wrong

The RTB runs mediation and adjudication for disputes about deposits, repairs, rent and notices [3][5]. If a tribunal finds you've been charged rent above market, it can order repayment and damages of up to €20,000 [3]. From 14 September 2026, adjudication hearings for new disputes are held in public, with reports published online, while mediation stays private [8].

Struggling to find a room? Ask in Cooee Ireland, our Facebook group for Australians in Ireland. Someone has usually just left a share house and needs a replacement.

Renting in Dublin: what Australians need to know before handing over a deposit