{
  "id": 7891489,
  "title": "Lowest level of vacant social houses in a decade - report",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/16/lowest-level-of-vacant-social-houses-in-a-decade-report",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-09-16T23:00:01.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "RTE News",
    "slug": "rte-news",
    "url": "https://www.rte.ie/news/ireland/2026/0917/1591829-social-housing-vacancy/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "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.",
  "summary": "The number of vacant social housing units in Ireland has reached its lowest level in a decade, according to a report by the National Oversight and Audit Commission. There were 3,866 vacant units at the end of 2025, down from 4,251 in 2024, with Monaghan having the lowest vacancy rate at 0.52% and Kilkenny the highest at 5.07%. However, the total number of social housing units owned by local authorities decreased by nearly 18.78% from 2024 to 2025, with 4,324 units added to the stock in 2025 compared to 5,324 added in 2024. The average re-letting time for vacant units remained above 32 weeks nationally, with significant variation across local authorities. Despite the decrease in new housing stock, a total of 2,671 local authority homes were retrofitted in 2025, with Dublin City leading the way in retrofits. The current pace of retrofit activity is not expected to meet the national target of retrofitting 36,500 local authority properties to a B2 Building Energy Rating by 2030.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}