GlobeQuest

Where to live in Dublin

The hardest rental market of any city in this app: chronic undersupply, queues at viewings, and landlords choosing from dozens of applicants for an ordinary flat.

The neighbourhoods

Stoneybatter & Smithfield

EUR 1,800–2,300 / month for a 1-bed

Red-brick terraces and independent bars just north of the Liffey — the city's most-hyped neighbourhood, deservedly

Young professionalsWalkableCharacterNightlife

Commute: 15–20 minutes' walk to the centre; Luas Red Line at Smithfield

  • Genuinely walkable to town
  • Best small-bar and coffee scene in Dublin
  • Phoenix Park at the end of the road
  • Small period houses, often cold and poorly insulated
  • Prices have risen fast with the neighbourhood's profile
  • Parking is difficult

Ranelagh & Rathmines

EUR 1,900–2,500 / month for a 1-bed

Leafy Victorian south-side villages, long the default for young professionals

Young professionalsFoodiesQuietTransit

Commute: Luas Green Line, 10 minutes to St Stephen's Green; walkable in 25

  • Best restaurant village outside the centre
  • Direct Luas to the core
  • Feels residential without being remote
  • Expensive for what you get
  • Heavy student presence around Rathmines
  • Period conversions vary wildly in quality

Grand Canal Dock & the Docklands

EUR 2,200–2,900 / month for a 1-bed

Modern apartment blocks beside the tech offices — convenient, corporate, new

Tech workersModern buildingsWalkableTransit

Commute: Walk to the Silicon Docks offices; DART and Luas both close

  • Newest and best-insulated stock in the city
  • Walk to work if you're at Google, Meta or Stripe
  • Gyms and concierge in many buildings
  • The most expensive rents in Dublin
  • Quiet and slightly soulless at weekends
  • Very little character or independent retail

Phibsborough & Drumcondra

EUR 1,600–2,100 / month for a 1-bed

North-side, unpretentious, close in and noticeably better value

ValueStudentsTransitFamilies

Commute: 20–25 minutes' walk or a short bus to the centre

  • Best value this close to town
  • Good bus corridors and the Luas at Phibsborough
  • Croke Park and the Botanic Gardens nearby
  • Fewer restaurants than the south side
  • Matchday crowds around Croke Park
  • Housing stock is mixed

Dún Laoghaire & the coastal south

EUR 1,700–2,300 / month for a 1-bed

Seaside towns on the DART line — the Forty Foot, the pier, and actual sea air

FamiliesQuietNatureSea swimmers

Commute: 20–25 minutes to the centre by DART

  • The DART makes it commutable without a car
  • Sea swimming and coastal walks year-round
  • More space per euro than the inner south side
  • You are dependent on the DART, which has limited late service
  • Quieter evenings than the city
  • Coastal weather is genuinely windier

How renting works in Dublin

Supply is the whole story. Listings attract dozens of applicants within hours, viewings are group affairs, and the winning tenant is usually the one with a complete document pack and no conditions attached. Dublin rewards preparation over budget.

  1. 1

    Set instant alerts on Daft and MyHome

    Daft.ie is the dominant portal. Instant email alerts are not optional — a good listing can have fifty enquiries before a daily digest reaches you.

  2. 2

    Reply with a complete pitch, not a question

    Your first message should include who you are, your job, your budget, your move-in date and an offer of references. Agents triage on the first email.

  3. 3

    Attend the group viewing

    Most viewings are scheduled slots with many applicants at once. Turn up on time and bring your documents printed as well as digital.

  4. 4

    Apply immediately with the full pack

    Employment contract or letter, payslips or an offer letter, references from previous landlords, photo ID and PPS number.

  5. 5

    Register the tenancy with the RTB

    Landlords are legally required to register the tenancy with the Residential Tenancies Board. Confirm it has been done — it's your protection and your evidence of tenancy.

Upfront cost

One month's rent as deposit plus one month in advance is the legal maximum for most tenancies — a landlord cannot lawfully demand more than two months' rent in total up front. There is no tenant-paid agent fee.

Where to search

Daft.ie — the dominant portal, and where you should live for the first monthMyHome.ie — the other significant listings siteRent.ie — smaller but occasionally has stock the big two missFacebook groups and Reddit r/DublinHousing — sublets, room shares and scams in equal measureEmployer relocation support — genuinely worth asking about, several big employers help

Insider tips

  • Take a room in a house share first. Competing for a whole flat from abroad is close to hopeless; competing for one while already living in Dublin with an Irish address, bank account and reference is achievable.
  • Ask about the BER rating. Ireland's older housing stock is poorly insulated and a low-rated period flat can cost a great deal to heat through a damp winter.
  • Check whether the property is in a Rent Pressure Zone. Dublin largely is, which caps how much rent can rise at renewal — a meaningful protection.
  • Have your document pack as a single PDF before you start looking. The advantage goes to whoever can apply within the hour.
  • Ask what heating the property has. Storage heaters are cheap to install and expensive to run; gas central heating is what you want.

Avoid these

  • Paying a deposit before viewing in person — the classic scam targeting overseas applicants, and rife in Dublin.
  • Paying more than two months' rent up front, which exceeds the legal maximum for most tenancies.
  • Not confirming the landlord registered the tenancy with the RTB.
  • Assuming furnished means equipped — check for a washing machine, which is often absent.
  • Underestimating heating costs in an older, low-BER property.

Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.

Find your feet in Dublin

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