THE average price of a three-bedroom house in Donegal has went up almost 8 per cent in one year.
According to the latest rental report published by Daft.ie today, in the final quarter of 2025 the average rent in the county was €1321.
In the same period, the average monthly rent of a double-room in a house in Donegal was €523.
Meanwhile, in Connacht-Ulster rents were 5.1 per cent higher than a year earlier, although this marks a slowdown compared to the 8.6 per cent increase seen in 2024.
Across the region, the average monthly rent in the third quarter for a two bedroom apartment was €1,250.
Market rents in the region are now on average 77 per cent above their pre-covid levels and almost double their Celtic Tiger peak.
Market rents nationally rose by 4.4 per cent during 2025, according to the rental report, compared to an increase of 3.6 per cent during 24.
Market rents have now risen in 13 of the last 14 years and are one third above their pre-covid levels and 80 per cent higher than ten years ago.
The average market rent for a two-bedroom apartment nationwide, between September and December, was €2,086 per month.
There were fewer than 1,800 homes available to rent nationwide on February 1. This is down 22 per cent compared to the same date one year ago and is by far the lowest level availability for this time of year in a series extending back to 2006.
Commenting on the new-look report, its author Ronan Lyons, Professor in Economics at Trinity College Dublin, said:
“Widespread uncertainty about the new rent controls appears to have exacerbated ongoing supply shortages in the rental market. Across the country, there have been steep falls in rental availability over the last year. There were fewer homes available to rent on February 1st this year than at the same time of year at any stage back to 2006.
“Unsurprisingly, with extremely tight availability, rents in the open market continue to rise, with a further 4.4 per cent increase during 2025, up from 3.6 per cent in 2024. The same is true for room rentals, which have also seen a sharp fall in availability in the last year. It remains to be seen whether supply is holding off until new tenancy terms come in on March 1st or whether the change in rent controls has led to a further reduction in the stock of rental homes, as landlords sell up.”
