Landlord exodus in Mayo linked to rental reforms as rents surge and eviction notices rise nationally
Rents in County Mayo have surged by almost 10pc in a year as new tenancy rules are being blamed for triggering a wave of landlords exiting the market, leaving renters facing rising costs and growing insecurity.
Latest figures from the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) show that average rents for new tenancies in the county have climbed to €1,210, a 9.7pc increase year-on-year, while eviction notices rose by 41pc nationally in the final three months of 2026.
Existing tenants are also facing increases, with rents averaging €995 per month, up 7.3pc year-on-year and 3.6pc on the previous quarter.
The rise in rents comes as house prices continue to increase, with the latest Real Estate Alliance (REA) Average House Price Index showing that the cost of a second-hand, three-bed semi-detached home in Mayo rose by 4pc to €285,000 in the first quarter of 2026.
The actual selling price of a three-bed, semi-detached home rose by 1.5pc over the quarter to €364,747, representing a 7.67pc increase year-on-year.
Opposition TDs have warned that rising costs, tighter supply and recent rental reforms are leaving renters to bear the brunt of the housing crisis, and have called for measures to boost supply and ease pressure on tenants.
According to the REA report, 25pc of house sales in the first quarter of 2026 were due to landlords leaving the market, down slightly from 30pc in the previous quarter.
A further 35pc of purchasers were first-time buyers, while the average time taken to reach a sale agreement remains at six weeks, underlining continued demand in a constrained market.
Commenting on the RTB figures, Mayo TD Rose Conway-Walsh said renters across Mayo are “being squeezed harder than ever” as they face rising rents and increased housing insecurity.
“These are significant increases that many working people and families simply cannot afford,” she said. “This comes at a time when thousands of renters across the state are facing eviction following a surge in notices issued at the end of last year.”
She warned that many evicted households are now returning to the rental market “under the government’s flawed rent reset rules”, where prices are continuing to rise.
“For renters in Mayo, this means being priced out of their communities, forced to move further away from work, family and support networks, or worse, facing homelessness,” she said.
The latest homelessness figures from Mayo County Council show that 180 adults and 69 children are currently living in private emergency accommodation in the county.
Deputy Conway-Walsh noted that rents were already rising before the regulations came into effect, and warned that the situation will “only get worse unless there is urgent intervention”.
She stated that current government policy is failing Mayo renters, increasing both costs and insecurity rather than offering protection.
The Sinn Féin TD has called for a complete ban on no-fault evictions, for “real action” to be taken to cut rents, and also for a “dramatic increase in the delivery of social and affordable homes”.
She has also called for an increase in the income thresholds for social housing eligibility, which currently stands at €33,000 for a couple with two children.
Local councillors have echoed this call in recent months, warning that many working families are finding themselves caught in a widening gap - unable to afford rising rents, unable to buy on the private market, and unable to qualify for social housing.
“People in Mayo deserve the security of a home they can afford. This government is not delivering on housing, and it is renters who are paying the price,” Deputy Conway-Walsh added.
The new regulations, which took effect from the start of this month, require all new tenancies to be a minimum of six years in duration.
The change saw many landlords issue eviction notices and leave the market before the rules came into force, a trend reflected in both the REA and RTB reports.
Reacting to the REA figures, Mayo TD Paul Lawless said the Government’s new policy has ultimately backfired.
“There is huge irony here that the new regulations, which the government brought to protect tenants, has resulted in fewer rental properties and is punishing tenants,” he said.
When the legislation was making its way through the Dáil, Deputy Lawless said he warned that it would “have an impact on the rate of eviction and would result in a flight of landlords”.
He argued that the solution to rising housing and rental costs is “less regulation rather than more”.
“The easiest way to reduce the rate of homelessness and reduce the price of houses is to build more houses and take pressure out of the system,” he said.
The Aontú representative said figures released to his party showed that the Government took in €3 billion in VAT on building materials and construction services in 2024.
His party is calling for VAT on building materials and services to be scrapped to encourage more construction.
Deputy Lawless also wants planning laws relaxed “so that people who have no material interest, or people who do not live in the area where the house is being built, are unable to object in the planning process”.
He has also called on An Coimisiún Pleanála to publish a set of pre‑approved housing plans for each region “so that the person who wants to build a home can select a design which they know for sure will meet the planning criteria”.
“We need common-sense solutions here rather than more regulation and paperwork,” Deputy Lawless added.
This article has been funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.