There was a decline in the number of rental properties available within the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) limit in September, with just 24 properties across the country meeting the criteria.
According to the latest Simon Communities' Locked Out of the Market report, there was a 25% decrease (eight fewer properties available), since June 2025.
Across the 16 areas surveyed, 833 properties were available to rent at any price, down 26% from the 1,119 recorded in the same period last year.
The report found there were no HAP-eligible properties in 11 of the 16 areas surveyed, including major urban centres such as Cork city, Galway, Limerick, Sligo, and Waterford.
Of the 24 properties that were available within HAP limits, 21 were located in Dublin, underscoring the capital’s limited pool of affordable rentals.
Outside Dublin, three suitable properties were found - one in Dundalk and two in Kildare.
In Dublin, the HAP discretionary rate allows an increase of up to 50% above the standard rate, compared to a maximum of 35% elsewhere in the country.
The Executive Director of the Simon Communities said the findings highlighted the deepening crisis in the private rental sector.
Ber Grogan said that while Budget 2026 included measures aimed at tackling homelessness, it remained "unclear" whether they would make any "tangible difference" for people in need.
The report found that ten of the 16 study areas recorded a drop in the total number of rental properties available at any price, including Dublin City South, Galway City Suburbs, and Limerick City Centre.
Sligo town and Co Leitrim had the fewest listings, with just three and four properties available respectively.
Some areas, however, saw modest increases in supply, such as Dundalk (+12 properties), Dublin City North (+22), and Waterford city centre (+14).
For single-person or couple households, just one property located in Dublin City South met the standard HAP rate.
Nine more were available within discretionary limits.
There were no standard-rate options for couples or one-parent households with one or two children.
Only a handful of properties were accessible for this cohort under discretionary HAP rates.
Keith Maguire, a retail worker living in Dublin who has been homeless for six years, said he found it "impossible" to find a home under the HAP scheme.
Speaking to RTÉ's Morning Ireland, he said he had been looking for four and a half years and it was difficult to even secure a viewing.
"I could only get two or three viewings per month," he said, adding that landlords who were willing to accept HAP were "few and far between" and wanted more money for the properties.
Mr Maguire said he found long-term accommodation with the Salvation Army but he is hopeful that he will eventually find somewhere because more houses are being built.
