Offaly landlords ‘have had enough’ as property market faces ‘absolute disaster’

There are widespread concerns among landlords in County Offaly over the impact of the Residential Tenancies Bill.

The amended bill would introduce new rules for property owners around the length of tenancies, rent increases and terminations.

Independent Offaly TD Carol Nolan spoke on the subject during a recent debate on the bill in the Dáil.

Deputy Nolan said: “There are very serious and valid concerns regarding the amendment to the residential tenancies legislation and the impact, particularly on private property rights and small-scale property owners or landlords.

“I have met many of these small-scale property owners in my offices in Birr and Tullamore and they are telling me quite clearly that they are leaving the rental market.

READ NEXT: Man on serious Offaly charges will be sent to Circuit Court

“I have also met tenants who have received a notice-to-quit letter. I know this is as a result of the legislation coming before us, which is flawed and unfairly punishes small property owners.”

She continued by saying she is already seeing the impact the bill may have on the Offaly rental market.

“What are we, as TDs, to do? How are we to advise tenants who cannot get access to social housing because their income is too high?

“There are no affordable housing schemes and now there are fewer properties to rent. I know for a fact that many properties are up for sale in towns like Birr, Banagher, Tullamore and Edenderry.

“That would not have happened were it not for this flawed legislation, which goes about unfairly punishing small-scale property owners. It is totally unfair.”

Deputy Nolan described the case of many property owners in the county, who have always been fair to their tenants.

She said she is now receiving emails from such landlords saying they have decided to leave the rental market.

She urged the Government to “see sense” and to reverse or amend the bill. She added that she is all for fairness for tenants, but also wants to see fairness for property owners.

Deputy Nolan also outlined the negative impact which she believes the bill will have on tenants locally.

She stated: “There are no affordable housing schemes in County Offaly. What do I tell the people who got on well with the property owner or landlord and everything went well and who lived happily in their house for many years? Now we have this mess.

“This legislation will most certainly deepen the housing crisis. I am already seeing it with the volume of notice-to-quit letters, and the increase in properties for sale in many towns throughout Offaly.

“Thanks to this legislation, we are going to see an increase in homelessness due to the greater absence of rental properties in the market.”

Deputy Nolan concluded by reiterating her call for the bill to be reversed, adding that it would be an “absolute disaster” for landlords and tenants.

Although Opposition TDs did not receive direct responses to their individual statements, Minister for Housing James Browne did make a general statement on the matter.

In this, Minister Browne said: “The bill should be viewed as having an important role in driving supply and as part of the Government's broad commitments and efforts to meet our housing demand.

“The Government is fully committed to working with all stakeholders to deliver social, affordable and cost-rental homes at scale and to continue accelerating housing supply across all tenures, including rental.

“Increasing the supply of new homes is critical to alleviating pressures in the housing market, helping to moderate price growth and easing affordability challenges across the country.”

The amended bill, officially called the Residential Tenancies (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2026, is currently at the second stage in the Oireachtas and is being debated generally by members of the Dáil and Seanad.

This stage focuses on the principles and broad objectives of the bill, before it moves on to detailed scrutiny at the committee stage.