Ireland's Eviction Notices Hit 20,033 in 2025, Highest Since Mid-19th Century

Ireland faces a severe rental crisis, with 20,033 notices-of-termination issued by the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) in 2025, a 21 percent increase from 2024. The first quarter of 2026 saw a 36 percent rise in eviction rates from the previous quarter, and 50 percent higher than Q1 2025.

This surge was largely driven by landlords selling properties, exiting the rental market ahead of new legislation in March 2026. RTB data shows landlords intending to sell increased from 3,226 in Q4 2025 to 4,259 in Q1 2026. The current eviction notice levels are comparable to those in Ireland during the mid-19th century. While household sizes were larger then (4.85 people per eviction, 1849-1880 vs. 2.74 in 2021), the eviction rate relative to households is similar: 0.14-0.48 per 100 holdings in the 19th century vs. roughly one notice per 100 households in 2025.

Opposition parties, including Labour TD Conor Sheehan and Sinn Féin's Mary Lou McDonald, have drawn parallels to the Famine era. Taoiseach Micheál Martin dismissed these comparisons as «just plain stupid». However, historical comparisons are standard in economic and social science to identify long-term trends. The Taoiseach's focus on «supply» alone to solve the housing crisis overlooks broader issues of fairness and social justice.

Ireland's eviction rate is among the highest in the OECD, with 3.89 percent of rental households affected in 2022, or over 8.22 percent based on RTB data for registered properties. This contrasts sharply with 1 percent or less in much of Western Europe and is even higher than the United States. This insecurity for renters, despite Ireland's wealth, demands further analysis beyond a supply-only approach.