Build-to-Rent Boom: What Dublin’s Latest Developments Really Offer Tenants

On Charlemont Square, renters are moving into the heart of the capital’s newest build-to-rent development, trading up-front deposits for shared gyms, rooftop terraces and coworking lounges. Latest figures show the city added more than 2,300 build-to-rent units in 2025 alone, as developers target apartment seekers unable or unwilling to buy in a market where the median sale price for a two-bed has surpassed €480,000.

This surge in purpose-built rental accommodation lands as hundreds of Dubliners face twin challenges: escalating mortgage costs and an ever-tightening private rental sector. Rising interest rates—the average five-year fixed now hovering near 4.8%—and stubbornly high deposit requirements have forced many young professionals and families to revisit the rental option, and the sector is betting big on their continued demand. But behind the glossy brochures, what do these build-to-rent schemes actually offer?

Premium Perks—At a Premium Price

While traditional rental stock remains scarce—Daft.ie lists fewer than 900 available homes citywide this week—build-to-rent providers like Greystar and Irish Residential Properties REIT have bolstered inventories in locations from Dundrum’s Eglinton Place to the Docklands’ North Wall Quay. In Grand Canal Dock, the Marker Residences boasts a cinema room, parcel lockers, and all-inclusive maintenance. At Forbes Street by Kennedy Wilson, tenants can access private courtyards and weekly yoga classes. It’s a far cry from the days of handing over keys to agents in Portobello and hoping for a functioning boiler.

But amenities come at a cost: a one-bedroom apartment in these new schemes regularly commands €2,300–€2,800 monthly, compared to a citywide average asking rent of €2,065 according to the latest Residential Tenancies Board figures. Buildings are typically unfurnished but allow more flexibility around pets and lease length—key draws for the city’s increasingly mobile tech workforce. Residents often cite on-site property management as a major plus, slashing response times when repairs crop up, a far cry from absentee landlords of old.

Ownership Remains Distant for Many

The build-to-rent pipeline, detailed in Savills’ Q1 2026 report, now totals more than 17,400 homes in Dublin in various stages of planning and completion. But the price gap between renting and buying stubbornly persists. Even at today’s high rents, monthly mortgage payments for a comparable two-bed in Smithfield (with 20% down) would average around €2,080. Yet upfront costs—a deposit of nearly €100,000 on a €480,000 home—are out of reach for much of the city’s under-forties.

For some, the appeal of build-to-rent is the flexibility to relocate, lower up-front costs, and not being chained to a mortgage in a volatile housing market. For others, especially families hoping for stability, rental caps on lease length and restrictions around personalising a space are barriers. Critics note many schemes cater to young, single professionals, only modestly addressing the chronic shortfall of family-sized, lifelong homes.

With more high-rise blocks slated for Sandyford and the Liberties, the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission has launched a review to monitor the impact on local rents and diversity of choice. Dublin City Council’s Housing Delivery Taskforce, meanwhile, has signaled that further regulation of the sector is possible if affordability gaps widen further.

For now, would-be city-centre buyers will need deep reserves—or a willingness to swap the hope of home ownership for the reality of co-living kitchens and rooftop sunset views. While build-to-rent offers relief for some, the fundamental question facing Dubliners remains: at what point does luxury rental compromise the city’s long-term housing mix?