Warning over landlords leaving the market

SMALL landlords leaving the private rental market may lead to fewer housing options and flexibility for tenants in Galway.

The warning comes from the Irish Property Owners Association (IPOA) based on the latest figures from the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB).

The figures revealed that landlords with four or more tenancies now provide 55.7 per cent of all private tenancies, despite representing just 11.8 per cent of private landlords.

The market share of tenancies provided by landlords with over 100 or more tenancies has increased for the 13th consecutive quarter and has reached to 15.6 per cent, its highest level since the current RTB series began.

The figures also show that 4,031 Notices of Termination were issued between April to June, bringing the estimated total for the first six months of 2026 to approximately 11,100.

Almost 50 per cent of the Notices of Termination issued in the second quarter of 2026 were issued because the landlords intended to sell the property.

The Irish Property Owners Association (IPOA) has warned that the government must create a favourable environment for small landlords to encourage them to remain in the market and bring additional homes into the rental sector.

Chair of IPOA, Mary Conway noted that the number of landlords with a single tenancy fell by 276 between April to June 2026.

“These are the landlords who traditionally provide homes in communities across the country, including in rural and regional areas. If they continue to disappear from the market, there will inevitably be less choice and less flexibility for tenants,” she added.

She emphasised that the government needs to provide meaningful incentives to make it attractive for smaller landlords, who provide the vast majority of affordable accommodation in the communities.

“Creating a rental market that is increasingly dependent on larger landlords risks reducing choice for tenants, driving up prices, and weakening the private rental sector,” she continued.