Small Landlord Question

dgtech · 21-02-2026 06:50PM #1

Probably too early to know this. Some websites say its possible. The new rental laws that are only recently published allow a small landlord to sell a rental property on the open market without a tenant under the conditions of financial hardship to pay for a debt. How severe must a debt be to enable a sale to progress? Is this for only court mandated recoverable debt? Or for mortgages in general. In defence of small landlords, banks have not made mortgage payments easy for investment property. If this was easier, small landlords could hang on for longer for the 6 year term.

Deregos. · 21-02-2026 06:53PM

That's awful to discriminate against small landlords like that. Anyway, should they nowadays not be referred to as vertically challenged landlords?

DubCount · 21-02-2026 07:04PM

I believe the debt needs to be at least 15% of the expected sales value.

ted1 · 21-02-2026 10:07PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124254806#Comment_124254806

op if you debt is less than 15%
you can owe me the balance ;)

spaceHopper · 24-02-2026 12:18PM

I think you might have gotten this wrong, a small LL has 3 or less tenancies and then they can sell on the open market with vacant possession. Above 3 and you are a large LL and are screwed. Also new law is for new tenancies.

However, there is one big warning with this. Once existing LLs start to sell, and the eviction cause a jump in homeless I fully expect the government to panic and bring out an eviction ban.

The message from SF too should/when they come to power is also clear. They consider LL's to be wolves, and they will show them no mercy.

I'd get out now while you can. Due to family circumstance I'm trapped and can't, wish I could and I wish I didn't have to. I know so many LL's who've sold or are selling it's going to be a bad for tenants. If I was long term renting, I'd be applying for council housing and saving as much money as possible.

Emblematic · 01-03-2026 12:34AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124261586#Comment_124261586

However one of the REITs recently welcomed the new rules even though it is stricter on them.

Also, I think the new rules, small landlords can evict in order to sell but only after the six year period.

MadeInKerry · 01-03-2026 09:19AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124273948#Comment_124273948

Only one? And the one that is leaking investors and trying to stop the flow.

But I can see why, if they are planning on turning over all of their tenancies over the next few years that their rent roll will increase significantly. Anywhere their tenants dont leave they can sell with a reduction in the sale value. And indeed they are selling the badly performing properties already and buying new ones.

What im interested in seeing this year is the amount of rentals coming on the market and at what price over the rest of the year. REITs will have very specific properties that they will invest in so there should be new rental apartments coming on stream, be it at very high rents. But REITs will not be investing very much in areas outside the cities. Maybe the odd apartment block in the odd big town, but rentals other than that will become scarcer.

Like spaceHopper above I know a few landlords and they have all either just sold up or are waiting for their tenants to move out (some have given notice, some are happy with their current tenants and will wait for them) and after that will sell up and find somewhere else to invest. None of them intend to be in the business after the current letting is done. So like the REITs if their property is performing at the moment and they have a good tenant, they will wait, but the intention is to sell as soon as they can sell with vacant possession.

But I am just a person at a keyboard. My prediction is no better than anyone elses. The only experience I have in property letting is as a renter for many years and then recently helping a relative do the calcs on whether to sell or keep or their rental. So im very interested to see what happens as the current tenancies come to an end. I think right now there will be a drop since the second half of 2025. And I think that will steadily increase and rents will rise a hell of a lot over the next year or two. I woudlnt bet my house on my predictions though. I'll leave that to others with more appetite for risk.

spaceHopper · 02-03-2026 11:09AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124273948#Comment_124273948

Landlords selling 2026 - Page 17 — boards.ie - Now Ye're Talkin'

2 % a year over 10 years give an increase of 21% so it's close to what the REITs were talking about without having a market rate reset in 6 years.

Emblematic · 02-03-2026 11:47AM

…………..

spaceHopper · 02-03-2026 12:04PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124277861#Comment_124277861

No, small LL's are exposed to one bad tenant, that will take 3 years to get out, all their eggs are in one basket.

We now have a hostile government that will panic when evictions go through the roof. We also have an even more hostile government waiting in the wings who call all LL's vultures, wolves, money grabbing….

Add to that, if your existing tenant moves out, you fall into the new rules where you have a new lease.

So, you can only sell at the end of 6 years, but you'd have to time your notice perfectly and if you make one mistake the tenant can appeal to the RTB. If rental goes as bad as everybody fears, you exiting tenant will have nowhere to go, if they overhold and force the LL to go to court, they then get an order of eviction which they can take to the council to show they will be homeless and to get onto the housing list. When the LL dies and their family inherit, they have faced with the same problems except now they have a tax bill to settle.

Look at it another way, if you say bought an apartment and lived in it for a few years, not you've family has grown and you move to a house. You could keep it and rent it. That way it's pension or somewhere your kids could live. However, the bank can't get it back for at least 3 years if you default on the mortgage and you can't sell it of you need to. So, there is no way you can get finance to keep it. All those small one-off rentals are gone, from now on its big businesses which have to maximise profits.

BlueSkyDreams · 02-03-2026 02:26PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124274271#Comment_124274271

The REITs will focus on the cities and invest there, especially Dublin as it has the highest rents and potential returns and the employment to make new schemes viable.

Small landlords exiting will be bad news for rural communities as rental stock dries up and more people move to cities where the homes are.

Couple this with the removal of the AirBnB ban in small towns and we could see a heavy increase in rural depopulation.

frank730 · 04-03-2026 03:43PM

hi guys, is my calculation correct? if my rental income is 2,000per month and I dont have other income, not PAYE. gross income tax = 24000x20%=4800; tax credits = personal tax credit 2000+self-employed credit 2000 = 4000. income tax due = 4800-4000=800, then plus USC and PRSI?

MadeInKerry · 05-03-2026 08:49AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124284553#Comment_124284553

There isnt really enough info there to work it out.

You wont get any tax credit for being self employed from the rental.

You will have expenses too. RTB fees, insurance, anything that needs fixed etc. That comes out of your pocket with only 20% against tax from it from what you have posted.

How will you survive if there are periods with no rent? Or if you have a problem tenant who doesnt pay some or all of the rent for possibly months or years. What if for example the water tank leaks and it costs you thousands to get fixed?

Craig_David · 12-03-2026 07:40PM

Is it correct that a small landlord can take back a property before the 6 year term to live in it themselves?
May be moving abroad for a couple of years and considering my options…
Selling doesnt seem to be a good option as when I return in 2/3 years (whichever it may be), I dont want to have to pay the crazy rental rates… So I would preferably like to hold onto the property.

If my understanding above is correct, is it permissible to detail in the advertisement something along the lines of..
'Tenancy term will be for a minimum term of 12 months and notice of termination will be issued after 2 years due to Owner requiring possession of property to live in…'

o1s1n · 12-03-2026 07:44PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124307684#Comment_124307684

Is it a house?

To be honest if I was moving away for 2/3 years I'd either rent to a trusted family member who could act as a caretaker or leave it empty.

Far too much shite could go wrong if you put it on the rental market, tenants could over hold when you get back and you're stuck with nowhere to live.

MadeInKerry · 12-03-2026 07:46PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124307684#Comment_124307684

If the tenant doesnt feel like leaving it could take you years to get the house back after you come home and thats after the notice period you give them that you want to move back in.

spaceHopper · 18-03-2026 01:11PM

What about expenses, insurance, RTB registration, depreciation on furniture over 5 years, some repairs. All can be off set against tax.

MadeInKerry · 18-03-2026 02:10PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124321469#Comment_124321469

Depreciation is over 8 years. These things are only offset. They would still end up shelling out half of the cost out of pocket depending on their tax bracket. My brother thought offsetting something against tax was getting it for free. I think he was not the only one who didnt understand how this actually works.

Small Landlord Question

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