THE GOVERNMENT’S PLAN to extend Rent Pressure Zones (RPZs) across the entire country will be fast-tracked, with the law change expected to be in place within weeks.

Speaking in the Dáil this afternoon, Tánaiste Simon Harris confirmed that legislation to extend RPZs will be brought forward next week.

The major shift in rental regulation was announced by Housing Minister James Browne earlier this week as part of plans to attract more private investment into the rental market, aiming to boost supply while also enhancing protections for renters. 

Initially, some of the changes were announced with a commencement date of 1 March 2026, while other changes had no specific date attached. However, the Government has since clarified that the plan to bring the entire country under an RPZ will be done as a matter of urgency.

This is to prevent landlords from increasing rents in areas that are currently not protected in the interim period. 

Under the current system, over 80% of the country is already in an RPZ and subject to a 2% cap on rent increases or an increase in line with the rate of inflation, whichever is lower.

Housing Minister James Browne received approval during Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting for the heads of bill to be drafted. However, there was no announcement from the minister that day that the RPZ legislation would be fast-tracked. 

Asked whether this extension would be passed by the summer recess, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said he expected it would be done “very quickly”.

He added: “Yes, I mean, the first part will be extending it nationally and that should happen very quickly, because it’s a short bill.”

He said the RPZ extension would be included in the Planning bill, which will be done before the summer recess, or in a standalone “shorter” bill.

“There’s no big deal about that, that’s not a big issue for us, but it’s one we can do fairly quickly.”

Speaking during Leaders’ Questions in the Dáil this afternoon, Sinn Féin’s finance spokesperson Pearse Doherty slammed the Government’s plans as “chaotic” and said the Government is caught up in a “damage limitation exercise”.

“People can see right through what this plan is all about. It’s about pushing up already extortionate rents even higher,” Doherty told the Tánaiste. 

The Donegal TD said it will be young people in particular who get hit with rent increases from March 2026, when landlords will be allowed to reset rents between tenancies, due to the fact that young people tend to move more frequently. 

Responding to Doherty, the Tánaiste said the Government’s proposals “didn’t fall from the sky” and instead are based on recommendations from the Housing Agency.

Harris argued that the Government has taken a “balanced approach” that “supports renters but also provides security and clarity and certainty in terms of those who may wish to invest in our country.”

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