Lowest level of vacant social houses in a decade - report

The number of vacant social housing units in Ireland reached its lowest level in a decade, according to a new report from the National Oversight and Audit Commission. However, the total number of social housing units owned by local authorities decreased by nearly 18% compared to the previous year. Monaghan recorded the lowest vacancy rate at 0.52%, while Kilkenny had the highest at 5.07%.

Despite the drop in vacant units, average re-letting times remained above 32 weeks nationwide. Four thousand three hundred twenty-four social housing units were added to local authority stocks in 2025, bringing the total to 158,772. Retrofitting efforts saw a slight increase, with 2,671 homes upgraded, but the pace still falls short of the national 2030 target of retrofitting 36,500 properties.

Over €300 million was spent on housing maintenance, and nine local authorities met or exceeded the 25% annual inspection rate. However, significant variations in performance were noted across local authorities in areas like spending, revenue collection, and service delivery.