Éimhin Ward Creates Dublin Rent Roulette Game After Eviction and High Rent Shock
Éimhin Ward, 25, created Dublin Rent Roulette after facing eviction and being shocked by high rents. The game, played over 24,700 times in two weeks, highlights the "absurdism" of Dublin's rental market. Ward hopes to expose the crisis, as even shared rooms now cost €1,000, far above historical averages.
Éimhin Ward, 25, and his housemates received an eviction notice for their Dublin home just before new government rent rules took effect. The landlord cited various reasons, including renovations and family moving in. Ward must vacate by June 13.
His frustration with Dublin's rental market led him to create Dublin Rent Roulette, a game where players guess apartment rents advertised on Daft.ie. The idea sparked after a colleague underestimated the €1,400 rent for a tiny studio. In under two weeks, the site saw over 24,700 games played and 83,000 guesses, with an 85% win rate, highlighting the "absurdism" of current prices.
Ward, who is now moving back home until September, aims to expose the rental crisis's severity. He notes that even rooms in shared houses now cost €1,000 in Dublin, far exceeding the average €775 for a double room reported by Daft.ie at the end of 2025, which is up 34% from pre-Covid levels and 77% above the Celtic Tiger peak. He spends about €20 weekly maintaining the site, believing it is crucial to show how out of reach prices are.