Measures designed to curb rent increases or restrict evictions may be manageable for large institutional landlords, but they can place disproportionate strain on smaller operators. Faced with rising costs, increased compliance burdens, and reduced flexibility, many small landlords are choosing to exit the market altogether. Over recent years, there has been a steady increase in the turnover of small landlords, contributing to a contraction in rental supply. Without a significant increase in housing supply, no amount of regulation will resolve the underlying imbalance. In the end, building more homes — not increasing interference in the rental market — is the only durable path to stability.

Source: Irish Examiner March 20, 2026 02:23 UTC