40% of income spent on rent in areas around Dublin - CSO

Updated / Thursday, 5 Nov 2026 12:31

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More than a third of tenants living in the South Dublin Co Council area spent over 40% of their disposable income on rent, according to the Central Statistics Office.

The study, based on 2024 figures, showed that in Fingal, Louth and Wicklow a third of tenants spent more than 40% on their disposable income on rent.

The study analysed the "rent burden" by measuring the median rent as a percentage of disposable income for tenants.

It showed the rent burden was highest in and around Dublin.

The local electoral areas with the highest rent burdens were Tallaght South at 33.7%, Balbriggan at 32.9%, Ongar at 27.1% and Ballyfermot-Drimnagh at 30.5%.

The areas with the lowest burdens were Ballinamore in Co Leitrim at 14.9%, Lismore in Co Waterford at 14.5% and Belmullet in Co Mayo at 10.3%.

Almost three-quarter of tenants had employee earnings as their primary source of income.

Social Welfare, excluding pensions, was the next highest primary source of income.

The study found a majority of landlords were aged between 50 and 64 years, while three in 10 landlords were aged over 65.

About 62% of landlords had total gross income from all sources of less than €60,000 in 2024.

The most common sector of employment for individual landlords was financial and real estate activities.

Just over a quarter of tenants had gross incomes below €20,000.

Almost four in 10 tenants who were over 65 years were spending more than 40% of their disposable incomes on rent.

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