Dundalk HAP tenants face rental squeeze as only two homes qualify in latest survey

Families in Dundalk who rely on the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) are facing an increasingly bleak rental market, with just two properties available within HAP limits during a recent national snapshot study.

The latest Locked Out of the Market report from the Simon Communities of Ireland examined rental listings on Daft.ie over three consecutive days in December 2025. Of 17 properties advertised to rent in Dundalk during that period, only two were within discretionary HAP limits and none were available under the standard HAP rate.

In Dundalk, monthly rents during the study ranged from:

• €1,350 to €1,590 for one-bedroom properties
• €1,250 to €1,850 for two-bedroom homes
• €1,650 to €2,000 for three-bedroom homes
• € 2,300.00 for homes with four bedrooms or more

By comparison, the standard monthly HAP limits in the area are:

• €650 for a single person
• €975 for a couple or lone parent with one child
• €1,050 for a couple or lone parent with two children

Even with the maximum discretionary uplift of 35% allowed outside Dublin, only two properties were affordable within those higher caps, one suitable for a household with one child and one for a household with two children. No properties were available within limits for single people or couples without children.

The situation in Dundalk has worsened compared to the last report. The September 2025 snapshot recorded 25 properties available to rent; by December, that had fallen to 17,  a drop of 32%.

While the number of properties within HAP limits rose slightly from one to two, availability remains extremely limited, representing just a small fraction of the local rental market.

Dundalk was one of only three locations outside Dublin where any HAP-suitable properties were found. In 10 of the 16 areas surveyed nationally — including Athlone, Sligo, Portlaoise, Limerick City and Waterford City — there were none at all.

Nationally, the report found just 31 properties available within standard or discretionary HAP limits across the 16 study areas. This represents just 3% of the total properties examined in the study. 

This is the same as 2024’s average. In 2023, an average of 4% of properties were available through HAP. In 2022, the average was 8% and in 2021 the average was 28%. 

No properties were available through standard HAP limits. 27 (87%) of the 31 properties available through HAP limits were in Dublin. In Dublin, the discretionary rate allows up to an additional 50% on the standard rate; this is limited to 35% elsewhere in the country.  

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

“The findings of the December 2025 Locked Out of the Market report show just how stark the reality is for people who rely on HAP. With no properties available within standard HAP limits and the vast majority of homes concentrated in Dublin, many households across the country simply have no viable options in the private rental market.

“For individuals and families outside the capital in particular, the prospect of finding a suitable and affordable home is becoming increasingly remote, with discretionary HAP rates still failing to keep pace with rising rents.

Read Next: No Insurance, No Motor Tax, No NCT: Gardaí seize vehicles in Louth crackdown

“One of the levers available to Government is the enforcement of regulations around short-term lets. This could potentially bring thousands of properties back into the market at a time where there is a dire shortage. Government and Local Authorities must take urgent action to address the monopoly of short-term lets, particularly in the West of Ireland and more touristy areas.

“We are continuing to see record levels of homelessness, and without urgent action to increase the supply of affordable housing and ensure that support reflects the real cost of renting, more people will remain trapped in emergency accommodation or at risk of losing their homes.”