Urgent: New Law Requires Landlords to Disclose Rent Prices

UPDATE: The Government has just announced a groundbreaking law requiring landlords to disclose the amount of rent they charge tenants, a move set to transform the rental market. This new legislation, part of sweeping reforms to the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB), aims to enhance transparency and compliance in high-demand areas across the country.

Under the proposed changes, a new rent price register will be established, mirroring the existing Property Price Register that tracks home sales. Government sources emphasize that this register will provide essential visibility into rental prices, helping tenants make informed decisions and ensuring landlords adhere to the 2% cap on annual rent increases in rent pressure zones (RPZs).

Housing Minister James Browne could present the legislation for Cabinet approval as soon as tomorrow, with implementation anticipated by March 1, 2026. The new rules will also require landlords to provide critical information about properties, including the building energy rating, number of bedrooms, and type of property.

This urgent reform comes on the heels of the recent Budget 2026, where the Government unveiled several measures to address the ongoing housing crisis. The Budget introduced a 9% VAT rate on apartment sales and proposed a new 7% derelict property tax, aimed at stimulating apartment construction and addressing the “viability gap.”

The legislation will not only regulate rent increases but also reshape how market rents are determined. Landlords will need to justify any rent reset by showcasing comparisons to similar properties in the area. Notably, the new laws will effectively ban no-fault evictions for larger landlords—those with four or more properties—while smaller landlords will retain some eviction rights under specific conditions.

This significant shift is poised to impact a large number of tenants, providing them with greater stability and clarity in a challenging housing market. The urgency of these reforms speaks to the Government’s commitment to tackling the housing crisis head-on.

As the legislation progresses, the focus will remain on how it will reshape the rental landscape and the potential effects on both tenants and landlords. Stay tuned as more details emerge, and watch for the official unveiling of these pivotal reforms.