RTB Data Set on Tenancies and Landlords Q1 2026

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Greenbook

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This data set was just released, link is here - just the thing for @patfert1 and other posters who are brilliant at analysing this type of information.

Landlords and tenancies increasing, but it the RTB are still not splitting out cost rentals and there is no number for previously unregistered landlords. So the information produced is not as reliable as it should be.
 
Here it is again

I just checked it and it sees to be working now.

Interestingly in the first graph - we have private rental tenancies of 246k. In the graph below we have private rental tenancies of 246k again with a second line of cost rentals. It is not explained anywhere that I can see that the 246k figure includes the cost rentals.

No mention either of how many previously unregistered tenancies are involved.

The 'neutral' regulator is doubling down on massaging the figures to give the impression that government policy is working, tenancies and landlords are increasing!
 
Greenbook said:
No mention either of how many previously unregistered tenancies are involved.
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I doubt many registering are volunteering that they were operating illegally up to that point, and they should not be guessing at those numbers.
 
Leo said:
I doubt many registering are volunteering that they were operating illegally up to that point, and they should not be guessing at those numbers.
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The RTB said that during 2025 they found 7000 unregistered tenancies. 60% of those, per the RTB, register voluntarily after a couple of letters. More most likely voluntarily register after this as the next step is threat of court proceedings - not being registered is a criminal offence

The RTB said this in a Housing Committee hearing.

The RTB is now very active in this area. They have a Report Your Landlord Form on the website. One of the items for reporting by a tenant is that the landlord is unregistered. Presumably that is how they come across it.

Unregistered landlords aren't voluntarily registering (though a few likely are as regulation increases). The RTB by one method or another are catching them.

Again, this issue has been discussed here in other threads. Other posters have run analysis of what the likely true tenancy numbers are.

Dr. Michael Byrne of UCD says on this issue

  • Another important caveat is that the RTB issued 7000 compliance notices for failure to register in 2025. Therefor, some of the new tenancies added in the last quarter may have/are likely to have been previously unregistered tenancies (i.e. don’t actually reflect new supply). I asked the RTB about this at the related webinar but they were not able to estimate to what extent this is the case.

Other posters have made the same point. This is not genuinely new supply, so the RTB should report on how many of these are included in its numbers. Also, the RTB does know how many are involved as they will be keeping track of who has registered so that they can pursue the remainder. Simple substraction would tell them the number of previously unregistered landlords now in the register.
 
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Leo said:
Does that not answer the question?
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To some extent, but we don't know how many have registered. We can't assume that the entire 7000 has registered.

Also, this was revealed at an Oireachtas Committee hearing and not in the official reports on tenancy numbers which the RTB produce. So if you weren't aware of what was said at the hearing, you wouldn't know about this at all and would think there was a genuine increase in numbers.

More unregistered landlords must have been forced to register during Q1 2026, but that number is not in the Report for that quarter. But the RTB said in the report and in the media that tenancy and landlord numbers are both up in the quarter. That is unlikely to be correct. Some of the 7000 from 2025 must have registered in Q1 2026. Based on 7,000 unregistereds in 2025, they must have found a similar proportionate number in Q1 and some of those will have registered relatively quickly.

One of the main roles of the RTB is tracking the state of the PRS - is it growing or declining. To get the correct view of this, they should distinguish as best they can between genuinely new tenancies and ones which always existed but have now been forced to register for the first time. Without that, it's very difficult to judge whether this is a growing or declining market.

Some posters on here have run the numbers, their view is, the PRS is declining. That is the opposite to what the RTB claim.
 
Leo said:
I doubt many registering are volunteering that they were operating illegally up to that point, and they should not be guessing at those numbers
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They have to give that information, they are required to provide the commencement date. So it's very easy for the RTB to know how many should have been in prior periods.
 
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