The Residential Tenancies Board (RTB ) has raised the alarm over persistent rent increases in Galway as part of its Director’s Quarterly Update for Q2 2025, published today.
The report, which tracks rental trends and compliance actions across the country, revealed that Galway has now seen eight consecutive quarters of strong rent inflation for new tenancies – a pattern the RTB says warrants deeper investigation. In addition to this, eight out of 36 sanctions issued to landlords by the RTB were to Galway landlords, accounting for 22 per cent of the country's total. Half of the eight sanctions issued by the RTB to Galway landlords were to just one property owner, Albert Jarzebak, who is listed with an address in Doughuiska, received four fines (€4,400, €3,800, €2,000 and €1,600 ) from the RTB for 'Failure to Comply with Rent Pressure Zone requirements'.
To address these concerns, the RTB confirmed it will hold a stakeholder forum in Galway this June. The forum will bring together renters, landlords, and local housing sector representatives to discuss the figures and explore compliance with rental law. The move is part of a broader RTB effort to step up enforcement and improve transparency in the rental market.
Rent Rises despite National Slowdown
According to the latest RTB/ESRI Rent Index, the standardised average rent for new tenancies nationally rose by 5.5 per cent to €1,680 in the final quarter of 2024. For existing tenancies, rents increased by 4.6 per cent to €1,440. While these figures represent a softening from earlier in the year, Galway remains an outlier.
Dr Rachel Slaymaker of the ESRI noted that the overall slowdown in rent inflation masks regional discrepancies. “Despite the easing of rental price growth nationally, counties like Galway continue to experience persistently high increases for new tenancies,” she said.
In response, the RTB has signalled that Galway will be a focal point for engagement this summer, including compliance checks and discussions with local stakeholders.
Rent rises highlight the 'level of dysfunction' in the housing system
"Anyone who is renting in Galway hardly needs reminding of the high rents they are having to pay," said Sinn Féin TD for Galway West, Mairéad Farrell.
"My office is constantly dealing with such issues. I’ve lost count of the amount of times people have broken down in my office in tears because of poor practices by landlords. These are generally people who are paying their rent, trying to get on with their lives and just get by, but who are suddenly thrown in a position where they could be made homeless.
‘The level of dysfunction in our housing system is difficult to fathom. It gets worse year after year by just about any metric."
Landlord Sanctions and Compliance
As part of its compliance update, the RTB confirmed that 36 sanctions have been issued against landlords for serious breaches of rental law, with penalties amounting to €102,490; eight of these sanctions have been issued to Galway property owners. The sanctions are part of the RTB’s ongoing efforts to uphold rental law and protect tenant rights.
RTB Director Rosemary Steen said the actions reflect the organisation’s stronger stance on enforcement. “We are actively pursuing high-risk offenders and our Compliance and Enforcement team is delivering results,” she said.
Shifts in Tenancy and Landlord Numbers
The report also highlighted shifts in the structure of the rental sector. Registered private tenancies rose 4.6 per cent year-on-year to 240,604 in the first quarter of 2025 but saw a marginal decline of 360 tenancies since the previous quarter. The number of registered landlords grew by 1.4 per cent to 104,470 but similarly dipped by just over 1,100 from Q4 2024.
Student-specific accommodation tenancies rose by 8.4 per cent in 2024 to over 36,500, while cost rental tenancies surged by 185 per cent to 2,414, showing growth in non-private market options.
RTB Rolls Out New Services
In a bid to improve user experience, the RTB also unveiled two major customer service initiatives.
First, a new four-year partnership with Fexco has been announced. Starting in July 2025, Fexco will operate the RTB’s outsourced customer service centre from its base in Killorglin, Co Kerry. The centre handles queries from around 350,000 customers annually. The contract, worth up to €21 million, was awarded following a competitive tender.
Martin Ryan, Managing Director of Fexco Managed and Advisory Services, said the company was proud to support such a vital national function. “We’re delighted to partner with the RTB in strengthening Ireland’s residential tenancy system,” he said.
Second, the RTB has begun final testing of a new online Dispute Resolution Centre, built using the ServiceNow platform in collaboration with Crossfuze. The pilot, which launches this month, is designed to allow tenants and landlords to submit and manage dispute cases online for faster processing.
“Our decision to use a global platform instead of building a custom solution has allowed us to deliver this quickly and efficiently,” said Ms Steen.
Looking Ahead
With concerns mounting over Galway’s rent trends and increased enforcement activity across the country, the RTB’s latest update paints a picture of a rental market under pressure but gradually adapting in some key areas, while others remain concerning.
As the RTB deepens its engagement with local communities and rolls out new digital tools, the organisation aims to tackle illegal rental practices across the country, especially in counties like Galway, where the housing emergency continues to reach new peaks yearly.
With the discussion of local housing continuing to highlight the insufficient stock, rising demand and dangerously inflated prices, people and politicians alike have aired their frustration with the current status quo.
"It is hard to believe that thinking, feeling human beings could be behind policies which are supposedly designed to tackle the number one priority of government," said Deputy Farrell.
"I just don’t buy it. The system is too geared towards seeing housing as an asset, and not seen as something based on human need, let alone a public good."
