Cost of renting a home in Kilkenny continues to rise despite pandemic

Rents in Kilkenny continued to rise last year in spite of the pandemic, a new report reveals.

The Residential Tenancies Board Rental Index Report shows the average price of renting in Kilkenny rose from €905.14 at the end of 2019 up to €918.88 at the end of 2020.

The 1.8% rise in Kilkenny was the fourth smallest increase in the country, but was still well below the national average increase of 2.5%, or 5% if rent increases in the Greater  Dublin Area (GDA) are excluded.

The national standardised average rent stood at €1,256 in Q4 2020 but drops to €904 if the GDA is excluded.

Of the four local authority areas (LEA) in Kilkenny, the Piltown (€912.18) and Kilkenny city areas (€1,012.49) are above the average rent beyond the GDA. Both of these have been designated rent pressure zones.

The Castlecomer (€775.64) and Thomastown/Callan areas (€786.11) remain 15% below the average rental price once the GDA prices are excluded.

Just two counties returned an actual decrease in rental prices in 2020. In neighbouring Waterford, rents fell by a staggering 8.3% over the course of the year, from €842.72 down to €773.19. Laois reported a small 0.5% decrease in average rents, from €906 down to €901.47.

The lowest average rents in the country were recorded in Carndonagh in Donegal, where the average property could be leased for €521 per month.