No HAP-eligible rentals available in Dundalk in latest Simon survey

Families and individuals relying on the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) in Dundalk are facing an even bleaker rental market, with no properties available within HAP limits during the latest national snapshot study carried out by the Simon Communities of Ireland.

The latest Locked Out of the Market report examined rental listings on Daft.ie over three consecutive days in June and found that, while 23 properties were advertised to rent in Dundalk during the survey period, not a single one fell within either the standard or discretionary HAP limits.

The findings represent a deterioration from the previous report, when one HAP-eligible property was available locally. Dundalk was one of three areas where HAP availability fell between March and June, dropping from one suitable property to none.

The report found that an average of 22 properties were available to rent in Dundalk each day during the study. Monthly asking rents ranged from €1,250 to €1,350 for one-bedroom homes, €1,550 to €1,800 for two-bedroom properties, and €1,800 to €3,000 for three-bedroom homes. These prices remain well above HAP limits for households seeking accommodation in the town.

Nationally, the picture remains equally stark.

Across the 16 areas surveyed, just 20 properties were available within either standard or discretionary HAP limits, representing only 2% of all rental properties examined. Just two properties nationally met the standard HAP limits, while 85% of all HAP-eligible properties were located in Dublin, where higher discretionary rates are available.

Twelve of the 16 locations surveyed, including Dundalk, Athlone, Cork, Galway, Limerick, Sligo and Waterford, had no HAP-eligible properties available in any household category.

The Simon Communities said the findings underline the widening gap between HAP limits and market rents, particularly outside Dublin where discretionary increases are capped at 35%, compared with 50% in the capital. The organisation warned that many tenants are increasingly forced to pay significant top-up payments to landlords, while others face little or no prospect of securing suitable accommodation in the private rental market.

The report also highlights the continuing pressures across the wider housing sector. It notes that there were 17,482 people living in emergency accommodation nationwide in June 2026, including 5,620 children, with homelessness continuing to rise year-on-year.

Ber Grogan, Executive Director at the Simon Communities of Ireland, said:

“The Simon Communities of Ireland has published the Locked Out of the Market Report for over ten years, and our message has remained the same – the HAP system needs reform.

It is almost one year since the Minister confirmed that a review of HAP was underway, yet we are still no clearer on its findings or recommendations. Will Budget 2027 finally deliver the long-awaited increase to HAP limits?

The quarter one 2026 Homeless Progress Report showed that HAP was used less than in the same period last year, either as a homeless prevention measure or as an exit from homelessness.

HAP is not working. People are still locked out of the market. We see and hear this on the ground every single day, across the country. People are being discriminated against. There is one short-term solution that would make an immediate difference – increase the HAP limits.”