Only 12 rental properties across 16 towns and cities were within Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) limits in September 2026, out of 1,361 homes available to rent at any price, according to the Simon Communities' Locked Out of the Market report published on 3 November. For anyone planning a move this winter, that scarcity sits alongside flat Dublin house prices, a rent tax credit due to rise to €1,150 in January and a Help to Buy grant that has already gone up to €35,000.

Rental supply: 11 of 16 areas had nothing within HAP limits

The Simon report, covered by RTÉ, found total listings in its study areas up 63% on September 2025, but 11 areas, including Cork, Galway, Limerick, Waterford city centre, Sligo, Athlone and Portlaoise, had no HAP-eligible homes at all. Seven of the 12 were in the three Dublin study areas, where the discretionary HAP rate can go 50% above standard, against 35% elsewhere.

Ber Grogan, Executive Director of the Simon Communities of Ireland, said she was disappointed that Budget 2027 included no increase in HAP limits, and that people relying on HAP are "locked out of the private rental market". Nationally, MyHome had 14,600 properties listed for sale in September, up 12.5% on a year earlier, according to an RTÉ analysis of 31 October.

House prices: Dublin flat at €500,000, national median €406,000

Geowox's Q3 2026 report, published on 4 November and reported by The Journal, puts the national median sale price at €406,000, up 5.2% on a year earlier, with Dublin "broadly flat" at €500,000 and the rest of the country at €360,000 (up 5.6%). Close to 15,000 homes changed hands between July and September; new-home sales were up 9.4% while existing-home sales fell 2.2%.

The CSO's official Residential Property Price Index for the 12 months to August 2026, published on 13 October, shows prices up 5.1% nationally, 3.9% in Dublin and 6.2% outside Dublin, with a national median of €400,000 and €500,000 in the Dublin region. First-time buyers made 41.0% of purchases over that year. Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown had the highest county median at €685,000 and Longford the lowest at €199,000.

Geowox also found that existing homes rated BER A or B sold for a median €466,000 against €370,000 for C to G, a €96,000 premium.

Rent tax credit: €1,150 single, €2,300 couple from January

Budget 2027 raises the rent tax credit by €150 to €1,150 for a single renter and to €2,300 for a jointly assessed couple for the 2027 and 2028 tax years, according to Chartered Accountants Ireland's Budget summary and the Irish Times. Revenue's rent credit page still shows the current €1,000 and €2,000 limits for 2024 to 2028; the new figures take effect once the Finance Bill is enacted, and the credit is claimed through an income tax return on Revenue Online Service. Renters who have not yet claimed for 2025 can still do so.

Rent-a-room relief rises from €14,000 to €16,000 from 1 January 2027 and extends to newly built auxiliary dwellings of 32 to 45 square metres, backdated to 27 July 2026.

Help to Buy is now €35,000

Revenue confirms that first-time buyers who sign a contract or draw down a self-build mortgage from 7 October 2026 can claim up to €35,000 under the further enhanced Help to Buy relief, up from €30,000, with the window running to 31 December 2029. The refund is the lesser of the cap or 10% of the purchase price. The Irish Times reports the €500,000 property value limit is unchanged.

Mortgages and completions

The RTÉ analysis of 31 October reports first-time-buyer mortgage drawdowns up 9% year on year at 22,600 so far in 2026, mover drawdowns up 7%, and 2026 completions expected at 39,000 to 40,000 against 36,000 in 2025. The ECB rate has risen from 2% to 2.5% in recent months, with another increase expected in December.

Moving in Dublin from 10 to 13 November

A security operation for the EU summits runs from Tuesday 10 to Friday 13 November around the Convention Centre on North Wall Quay, the National Gallery on Merrion Square and the routes from Dublin Airport. The Journal reports Merrion Square and nearby roads closed on 12 November with Pearse Street restrictions through the evening rush, and Dublin City Council warns of "major and prolonged traffic disruption" for the city, airport and port.

What it means for you

• If you can choose your moving date, avoid Dublin 2, Dublin 1 and the docklands between 10 and 13 November; a van job that normally takes an hour could take several.
• Tenants moving out: get a dated, receipted end-of-tenancy clean and photographs before handing back keys, because supply is tight and deposits are contested.
• Renters: claim the 2025 rent credit now on Revenue Online Service, and note the higher €1,150 or €2,300 credit for 2027 once the Finance Bill passes.
• First-time buyers: the €35,000 Help to Buy cap applies to contracts signed from 7 October 2026, and the BER A or B premium of €96,000 is worth weighing against a cheaper C-rated home.
• Winter moves: book removals and storage early for the weeks before Christmas, ask for a written quote naming van size, crew and insurance, and check that storage is dry and alarmed.
• You can compare removals firms, man-with-a-van services and storage providers on Locufy.

For providers: removals and storage companies should quote fixed prices for December moves now, state any Dublin surcharge for the 10 to 13 November summit week, and tell clients about the M50 and Port Tunnel toll increases from 1 January 2027 if those are passed through. Cleaning firms can pair end-of-tenancy packages with removals dates.

Key dates

• 10 to 13 November 2026: Dublin city-centre closures for EU summits; 12 November public sector strike planned
• 1 January 2027: rent tax credit due to rise to €1,150 / €2,300; rent-a-room ceiling €16,000; new toll rates
• 31 December 2029: Help to Buy €35,000 window closes

Sources

• RTÉ — Only 12 rental properties nationwide within HAP limits, Simon Communities report
• The Journal — House prices in Dublin 'broadly flat' with median home costing €500k
• CSO — Residential Property Price Index August 2026
• RTÉ — Five reasons the housing crisis may be turning a corner
• Chartered Accountants Ireland — Budget 2027: Housing and property measures
• Irish Times — When Budget changes kick in and how to claim them
• Revenue — Rent Tax Credit: how much can you claim
• Revenue — Help to Buy: how much can you claim
• The Journal — Dublin road closures for November summits
• RTÉ — Largest policing operation in State's history for Dublin summits
• TII — Toll Rates from 1 January 2027

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