The number of properties available under the Housing Assistance Payment Scheme since December 2024 has fallen, according to the Simon Communities of Ireland.
Its quarterly 'Locked Out of the Market' report shows just 41 properties were available to rent within the discretionary rate of HAP across 16 areas surveyed over three dates last month.
This, it said, marked a decrease of 11%, or five properties, since December 2024.
The areas surveyed include Co Leitrim, Athlone, Cork city centre, Cork city suburbs, Galway city centre, Limerick city suburbs, Limerick city centre, Sligo town, Portlaoise and Waterford city centre.
There were no HAP properties available in ten of the 16 areas, it said, adding the supply of properties within HAP limits continues to "predominantly" be in Dublin.
The report said 31 of the 41 properties available under HAP were located in Dublin, where the discretionary rate allows up to an additional 50% on the standard rate compared to 35% elsewhere.
The study also found supply to the rental market has dropped by 9% in the first quarter of 2025, with 1,119 properties available to rent at any price.
Sligo town and Portlaoise had the lowest number of properties available to rent, with just five and two properties respectively.
The survey showed that 12 of the 16 areas saw a reduction in the number of properties available to rent, while two had an increase.
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'Deepening crisis' in sector
The Executive Director at the Simon Communities of Ireland said the report's findings "continue to highlight the deepening crisis" in the private rental sector, particularly for people on low incomes who rely on HAP supports.
"With most of the properties concentrated in Dublin, the vast majority of the country remains effectively locked out of the rental market," Ber Grogan added.
Ms Grogan said ten of the 16 areas surveyed had no properties available within HAP limits, adding "that is not a housing system that’s working for those most in need".
Outside of Dublin, she said that HAP tenants "face an uphill struggle with little to no access to suitable or affordable homes, with discretionary limits proving insufficient to meet current rental prices".
She called on the Government "to extend" legislation on rent pressure zones "for at least one year to give people some certainty while alternatives are being discussed".
"We urgently need an increased supply of affordable and secure housing," she said, adding "targeted action is required now".
The Department of Housing issued a statement saying: "It should be noted that the Simon report tracks properties advertised on Daft.ie.
"Research carried out in 2022 from the RTB [Residential Tenancies Board] and Amarach indicates that 45% of medium-sized landlords used other methods of advertising their property for rent.
"It is important to note that there are multiple different online platforms which may be used to advertise rental properties," said the Department.
"Each local authority now has statutory discretion to agree to a HAP payment up to 35% above the prescribed maximum rent limit to secure appropriate accommodation for a household that requires it, or up to 50% in the case of homeless households in the Dublin [area].
"At the end 2024, some 69% of the total number of households being supported by HAP were benefiting from the additional flexibility, at an average rate of discretion of 29.2% above the relevant limit.
"At the end of 2024, approxiamately 54,000 households were actively in receipt of HAP support. An average of 156 tenancies were set up each week" up to the end of 2024.
"Over 499 new HAP tenancies were set up in March 2025, the period covered by the Simon report," added the Department.
