What will a Dublin rental property actually return in 2026 — and how much of that will you keep? The honest answer needs two numbers, not one. The gross yield — annual rent divided by purchase price — is the headline figure every agent quotes, and on the registered-rent basis it ranges from about 5.0% in Dublin 6 to just over 10% in the north inner city. But gross is what the property earns before the landlord’s costs; net is what lands in your bank account after management, insurance, Local Property Tax, maintenance, voids and income tax of up to 52%. This guide ranks all 22 Dublin postal districts plus the Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown suburbs on one consistent, dated methodology — actual RTB-registered rents divided by actual PPR sale prices — and then walks every headline gross yield down to the net return a real investor should underwrite, under the 2% national rent cap that has applied since March 2026.
TL;DR: On the registered-rent basis (RTB ÷ PPR), the five highest gross-yield districts in Dublin are D1 North Inner City (~10.2%), D8 Kilmainham/Inchicore/Liberties (~9.2%), D10 Ballyfermot (~8.7%), D11 Finglas (~8.4%) and D7 Cabra/Phibsborough/Stoneybatter (~7.9%) — every one of them in the north and west inner city. The premium southside (D6, D4, Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown) is a capital-growth play, not an income play, at 5.0–5.6% gross. Net yields run roughly 2–4 points below gross after operating costs and income tax, and under the post-March-2026 rent regime the yield on the day you buy is roughly the yield you keep. Best rental yield Dublin 2026, by net rather than gross: the balanced trio of D7, D12 and D9.
Dublin’s gross-vs-net picture in 60 seconds
- Average gross yield across Dublin is about 7.0% (all dwelling types, Global Property Guide, Q2 2026) — high by European standards. It climbs to ~8.0% for 1-beds and falls to about 5.5% for 4+-bed houses; smaller stock rents better per euro of price.
- The cheapest districts rent best. Ballyfermot (D10, median €226,000) grosses ~8.7% while premium Ranelagh/Rathmines (D6, median €595,000) grosses ~5.0% — a four-point gap driven almost entirely by purchase price, not by rent.
- Net is where the decision lives. After management, insurance, LPT, maintenance, voids and income tax up to 52%, a 7% gross yield can become 3–4% net — and materially less if you are mortgaged. Gross compares areas; net decides purchases.
- The 2% cap froze the old upside. Since 1 March 2026, in-tenancy rent increases are capped at the lower of CPI or 2% a year, so you can no longer buy a low-yield area and wait for rent inflation to rescue it. Your Day-1 registered-basis yield is roughly the yield you keep.
- Yield and growth rarely travel together. Dublin’s highest-yield districts (D1, D8, D10, D11) are also among its highest-growth — but its lowest-yield districts (D6, D4, DLR) are the least cyclical. There is no free lunch; there are only trade-offs, priced below.
- Landlords are still exiting, which keeps entry yields attractive. Individual landlord numbers have fallen from roughly 170,000 in 2016 to under 140,000 (CSO Census 2022-derived counts), and 62% of one Dublin agency’s 2025 sellers were investors offloading buy-to-lets — stock that returns to the market, and to new landlords, at current prices.
All figures were checked on 5 September 2026; district medians, growth and yields are refreshed quarterly (next refresh: November 2026, ahead of the year-end investor planning window).
Methodology: the registered-rent basis (RTB ÷ PPR), and why ranges beat precision
Gross yield = (annual rent ÷ purchase price) × 100.
What we divide: actual rents filed on the RTB Rent Register — live since 1 March 2026, holding registered rents from the last 24 months and updated daily — by actual sale prices from the Property Price Register (PPR), the official record of every home sold in Ireland since 2010.
Why registered rents, not asking rents: listing-site rents (Daft.ie, MyHome.ie) run roughly 5–15% above what tenants actually pay once negotiation is done, and asking prices are not sale prices (Dublin homes commonly sell ~5–10% above asking). A registered-rent ÷ sold-price series therefore runs materially lower than an asking-rent ÷ asking-price series — the same inner-city district can look 2–4 points different depending on which basis you read. Whenever someone quotes you a Dublin yield, ask which basis it uses.
Ranges, not precision: district yields are approximations built by mapping RTB Local Electoral Areas onto postal districts and dividing median registered rents by median PPR prices. Individual property yields vary with exact location, condition, tenure and purchase price. We quote ranges and “~” figures — never false precision — and treat every single district figure as directional, not a guarantee.
Gross vs net: gross yield ignores mortgage interest, LPT, insurance, management fees, maintenance, voids and income tax up to 52%. Net yields typically run 2–4 points below gross on the full cost-and-tax basis. Where we mark a net figure “est.”, it is derived from the district’s price tier and comparable registered rents — it is not a published series figure, and it is stated before mortgage interest, which you must model on your own loan terms.
Sources and dates: district medians, growth and registered-basis gross yields from Dublish’s PPR/RTB analysis (Dublin House Prices by Area 2026 and Dublin Rental Yields by Area 2026, March 2026 update); official regional medians and the price index from the CSO Residential Property Price Index (12 months to June 2026); Dublin average yield by dwelling type from Global Property Guide (Q2 2026); rent-cap rules per the Residential Tenancies (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2026, in force since 1 March 2026.
The master table: all 22 Dublin districts, ranked by gross yield — with the net column that matters
The table below is the decision screen: every district, its median price, its one-year growth, its gross yield on the registered-rent basis, an estimated net-yield range after operating costs and income tax (before mortgage interest), and the dominant stock type. It covers the 22 Dublin postal districts plus the Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown (DLR) suburbs (Blackrock, Dún Laoghaire, Dalkey, Stillorgan, Dundrum, Stepaside and the coastal villages — south-county areas that carry A-eircodes rather than D-postcodes). Sortable version: the site’s table plugin sorts on every column; the “Gross yield” column is the ranking key. Medians are PPR-based district medians via Dublish (March 2026) unless marked CSO (official median, 12 months to June 2026). Yields marked “est.” are tier-based estimates where no registered-rent series figure is published.
| District / Area | Median price | 1-yr growth | Gross yield (reg. rent) | Net yield (est.) | Stock type | Read |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| D1 North Inner City | €275,000 | +6.3% | ~10.2% | ~5–7% | Apartments, Georgian conversions, ex-council flats, new schemes | Highest gross in Dublin — turnover and management intensity priced in |
| D8 Kilmainham / Inchicore / Liberties | €305,000 | +7.4% | ~9.2% | ~4.5–6% | Redbrick terraces, ex-industrial conversions, apartments | Inner-city strength with a gentrification tailwind |
| D10 Ballyfermot | €226,000 | +9.9% | ~8.7% | ~4–6% | Older local-authority estates, terraces | Cheapest district median and fastest-growing in Dublin |
| D2 City Centre South | €395,000 | +4.1% | ~8.6% (apartment-skewed) | ~4–6% | Apartments, mixed commercial/residential | Apartment-heavy — house data skewed, not in the house-basis top 5 |
| D11 Finglas / Ballymun | €246,000 | +8.4% | ~8.4% | ~4–6% | 1950s–70s estates, new regeneration apartments | Yield near double-digit growth; transport pipeline |
| D7 Cabra / Phibsborough / Stoneybatter | €330,000 | +7.5% | ~7.9% | ~4–5.5% | Georgian-to-1930s redbrick, artisan cottages, estates, new apartments | The balanced pick: yield and growth |
| D9 Glasnevin / Drumcondra | €355,500 | +6.7% | ~7.3% | ~3.5–5% | Redbrick, 1930s–50s estates | Established family belt, reliable demand |
| D3 Clontarf / East Wall / North Strand | €403,881 | +6.5% | ~6.5% (district); ~5.8% in the premium Clontarf core | ~3–4.5% | Period terraces/semis, coastal houses, ex-council terraces | Two markets in one postcode; see the growth section below |
| D5 Raheny / Artane | €385,000 | +6.8% | ~6.5% | ~3–4.5% | 1930s–70s semis and terraces | Northside family value, steady demand |
| D12 Drimnagh / Crumlin / Walkinstown | €324,000 | +8.4% | ~6.1% | ~3–4.5% | 1930s–50s redbrick and estates | FTB sweet spot; modest yield, strongest mid-market growth |
| D6W Terenure / Harold’s Cross | €520,000 | +5.8% | ~5.7% | ~2.5–4% | 1930s semis, some period | Southside value-premium, buses not Luas/DART |
| D4 Ballsbridge / Donnybrook | €550,000 | +4.9% | ~5.6% | ~2.5–4% | Premium period houses, apartments | Capital-growth postcode, not an income play |
| Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown (Blackrock, Dún Laoghaire, Dalkey, Stillorgan, Dundrum, Stepaside) | €535,000 (district series); €682,334 (CSO) | +6.0% | ~5.4% | ~2.5–4% | Coastal villages, period homes, new estates, apartments | Wide area — Dalkey and Stepaside are different markets |
| D6 Ranelagh / Rathmines / Rathgar | €595,000 | +6.0% | ~5.0% | ~2–3.5% | Victorian/Edwardian redbrick, premium apartments | Dublin’s deepest owner-occupier demand, weakest yield |
| D17 Coolock / Priorswood | €255,500 (PPR); €337,000 (CSO) | +7.5% | ~7–8.5% est. | ~3.5–5.5% est. | 1960s–70s estates | Dublin’s least expensive eircode (CSO) |
| D22 Clondalkin | €281,500 | +7.2% | ~7–8% est. | ~3.5–5.5% est. | 1970s–80s estates, new build | West Dublin value with new-build supply |
| D24 Tallaght | €290,000 | +7.0% | ~6.5–7.5% est. | ~3–5% est. | 1970s–80s estates, new build | Volume market, sub-€300k entry |
| D20 Palmerstown / Chapelizod | €295,000 | +6.5% | ~6.5–7.5% est. | ~3–5% est. | 1930s–60s estates, terraces | Quiet west-side value |
| D15 Castleknock / Blanchardstown / Ashtown | €325,000 | +6.4% | ~6–7% est. | ~3–5% est. | 1960s–2000s estates, new build | Rail + DART+ West corridor |
| D13 Donaghmede / Baldoyle / Howth | €370,000 | +7.0% | ~6–7% est. | ~3–4.5% est. | 1960s–80s estates, coastal houses | Coastal northside, wide spread |
| D16 Rathfarnham / Ballinteer / Churchtown | €485,000 | +5.3% | ~5–6% est. | ~2.5–4% est. | 1930s–70s semis, some period | Southside family stock |
| D18 Foxrock / Stillorgan / Carrickmines | €490,000 | +5.3% | ~4.5–5.5% est. | ~2–3.5% est. | Premium detached and period | Premium south county |
| D14 Dundrum / Goatstown | €512,000 | +6.0% | ~5.5–6.5% est. | ~2.5–4.5% est. | Mixed period, estates, Luas-era apartments | Luas Green convenience |
Medians and growth: PPR-based district series via Dublish, to March 2026; CSO official medians (12 months to June 2026) shown where marked. Gross yields on the registered-rent basis (RTB ÷ PPR) via Dublish, March 2026; “est.” rows are tier-based estimates where the registered-rent series does not publish a figure. Net yields are estimates after operating costs (management, insurance, LPT, maintenance, voids) and income tax at 40–52%, before mortgage interest — see the net-yield reality section for how each column is built.
How to read the table: the gross column answers “what would a cash buyer earn on the median home at the median registered rent today?” It is a comparison tool across areas, not a forecast for any single property. D2’s ~8.6% is carried for completeness but is skewed by its apartment-heavy sales mix, so it is excluded from the house-basis rankings and the top-5 discussion below. And whatever the gross column says, the net column is the closer to what you bank — read the two together, never gross alone.
The top 5 gross-yield areas: where the headline numbers work hardest
These five districts form Dublin’s gross-yield ladder on the registered-rent basis. All sit in the north and west inner city, where purchase prices are low relative to rents — and where running costs, turnover and management intensity also run higher. Each entry lists the gross figure, the story under it, and the catch that net maths must price in.
1. D1 North Inner City — ~10.2% gross. The highest registered-basis gross yield in Dublin, on a €275,000 district median with registered 3-bed rents around €2,332/month. The catch is composition: this is an apartment-and-conversion district with high tenant turnover, patchier stock and heavier management intensity than any suburb. You are buying yield and a +6.3% growth rate, but underwrite voids and the management fee before you bank the headline. Best suited to hands-on investors who can manage a denser portfolio.
2. D8 Kilmainham, Inchicore & the Liberties — ~9.2% gross. The south-inner-city version of the D1 story at a €305,000 median (+7.4% growth): redbrick terraces and ex-industrial conversions close to the Luas Red Line, with strong FTB demand for apartments underneath the landlord market — D8 apartment values rose about 10% in 2025 on FTB demand (agency data, Owen Reilly). Gentrification is further along than in D10/D11, which is good for resale liquidity and slightly softer for pure yield.
3. D10 Ballyfermot — ~8.7% gross. Dublin’s cheapest district median (€226,000) and its fastest-growing (+9.9%) — the rare pure-yield-plus-growth combination. Older local-authority stock means a heavier maintenance line in the net maths, and the commute is the longest of the top five. For a cash buyer able to refresh a tired terrace, the gap between gross and net can be narrower here than the table suggests — if the refurb is priced in at purchase.
4. D11 Finglas & Ballymun — ~8.4% gross. A €246,000 median (+8.4%) with BusConnects already in delivery and Luas Finglas proposed — yield today with a transport-upgrade story underneath. The master-table worked example below runs a Finglas house through the full gross-to-net bridge, because this is the district where first-time landlords most often chase the headline.
5. D7 Cabra, Phibsborough & Stoneybatter — ~7.9% gross. The gentrification corridor with the strongest balance in the city: about 7.9% gross and about 7.5% annual appreciation, on registered 3-bed rents around €2,161/month against a €330,000 median. The net column is healthier than D1’s because turnover is steadier and the tenant pool is older and more settled. Full district breakdown in our Dublin 7 guide.
Why D2 (~8.6%) is not in the top 5: its yield is computed across an apartment-dominated sales mix and Dublish flags the house data as skewed; we keep the house-basis ranking clean. If you are buying apartments rather than houses, D1, D2 and D8 together are Dublin’s strongest apartment-rental markets, with apartment gross yields of roughly 7–9% achievable at €200,000–€350,000 entry points — check the RTB Rent Register for the exact block and scheme before you bid.
The capital-growth plays: low yield, high growth (buy these for the asset, not the rent)
If your goal is appreciation rather than income, the premium southside is the classic answer — at the price of a gross yield that barely covers holding costs. Under the 2% cap, these are now pure capital assets; the rent is a holding contribution, not the strategy.
| Area | Gross yield (reg. basis) | 1-yr growth | The play |
|---|---|---|---|
| D6 Ranelagh / Rathmines / Rathgar | ~5.0% | +6.0% | Premium capital growth; D6 averaged €865,944 per sale with the city’s fastest 4.1-week selling time in one agency’s 2025 books |
| Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown | ~5.4% | +6.0% | Coastal school-belt south Dublin; CSO median €682,334, Blackrock’s A94 the most expensive eircode in Ireland at €851,750 |
| D3 Clontarf core | ~5.8% (premium core); ~6.5% district-wide | +6.5% | “Approaching premium” northside coast — the €403,881 district median hides East Wall/North Strand entry points at €235k–€287k |
The one-line read on this group: 5.0–5.8% gross nets to roughly 2–3.5% after costs and tax — these are capital assets, not income assets. D6, D4 and DLR are the least cyclical parts of Dublin’s market, which is exactly why buyers accept the yield penalty: the demand underneath is owner-occupier, deep and shock-resistant. D3 is the hybrid: district-wide it still grosses ~6.5% because the affordable East Wall/North Strand/Ballybough sub-markets (growing 9–12.5% a year) drag the blend up, while a Clontarf-proper house at €450,000+ and ~€2,176/month rent lands closer to the ~5.8% figure. Our D6-v-D4 premium guide (due this autumn) compares the pure capital-growth postcodes head-to-head.
The balanced picks: yield and growth in one postcode
For most small landlords, the districts that matter are where the rent covers the holding costs while the capital compounds — the rows where gross and growth both clear 6%:
| Area | Gross yield (reg. basis) | 1-yr growth | Why it balances |
|---|---|---|---|
| D7 Cabra / Phibsborough / Stoneybatter | ~7.9% | +7.5% | The rare postcode where yield and growth both clear 7% — gentrification that has not peaked |
| D12 Drimnagh / Crumlin / Walkinstown | ~6.1% | +8.4% | Modest yield, the mid-market’s strongest appreciation — a capital-growth play that rents |
| D9 Glasnevin / Drumcondra | ~7.3% | +6.7% | Northside family belt: quality stock, reliable tenant demand, MetroLink Glasnevin station planned |
D7 is the balanced archetype. D12 is the FTB-and-investor crossover: a couple on €80,000 combined can borrow roughly 4× income into the €324,000 median, which keeps a floor under resale demand while you collect ~6.1% gross — and its +8.4% appreciation has been the mid-market’s strongest. D9 costs about €30,000 more than D7 at the median but trades a little yield for stronger family-tenant quality, steadier voids and the planned MetroLink station at Glasnevin. On a net basis — the column this guide is built around — the balanced trio is the recommendation for first-time landlords: income that mostly covers costs, growth that builds equity, and tenant demand that does not depend on the student cycle or short-let rules.
Net-yield reality: what a Dublin landlord actually keeps (gross vs net yield, Ireland edition)
Gross yield is the headline; net yield is the bank balance — and for any Dublin rental yield 2026 comparison, the gap between them is the whole conversation. It is wider in Ireland than almost anywhere else in Europe, because the tax line is brutal. The cost stack on an Irish buy-to-let, in order of size:
- Income tax up to 52% — the single biggest line. Rental profit is taxed at your marginal rate (income tax, USC and PRSI combined, to a 52% top band), and unlike mortgage interest it is unavoidable. A 7% gross yield is roughly 3.4% after top-rate tax, before any other cost — the single biggest reason gross-vs-net matters and why every credible yield guide in Ireland now leads with it.
- Mortgage interest — the biggest cash line for leveraged buyers. At 70% loan-to-value and a ~4–4.5% rate, interest alone can consume most of a 6% gross yield in year one. (The master-table net column is stated before mortgage interest on purpose: your LTV and rate are yours to model.)
- Management fees of 7–10% of rent if you use an agent — the single line a hands-on landlord can eliminate by self-managing.
- Insurance and Local Property Tax — typically €1,200–€1,800 a year on a mid-market Dublin property.
- Maintenance of roughly 1–2% of value a year — and more in the older D10/D11/D17 local-authority stock that tops the gross-yield table.
- Voids — Dublin’s overall vacancy is sub-1%, so empty periods are short, but a month’s void on a €2,500/month apartment costs €2,500 regardless; turnover districts (D1, D2, D8) eat more void risk than family belts (D9, D13).
The gross-to-net bridge, worked on a real district example
Author calculation on the series’ standard assumptions (7% management, ~€1,500 insurance + LPT, ~€3,500 maintenance, tax at marginal rate; matching the buy-to-let reality check): a €246,000 Finglas (D11) house renting at the ~€1,715/month registered level shows ~8.4% gross — the number that sells the deal. Here is the full bridge to net:
| Line | Annual amount | Running yield on €246,000 |
|---|---|---|
| Registered rent (€1,715 × 12) | €20,580 | 8.4% gross |
| Less management (7%) | −€1,441 | |
| Less insurance + LPT | −€1,500 | |
| Less maintenance (~1.4% of value) | −€3,500 | |
| Pre-tax operating cash flow | ≈€14,140 | ≈5.7% before tax |
| Less income tax at 40% | −€5,656 | |
| Net (40% marginal rate) | ≈€8,480 | ≈3.4% net |
| Net at the 52% top rate | ≈€6,790 | ≈2.8% net |
| Mortgage interest (70% LTV @ ~4.25%) | −€7,320 | −3.0 pts of the gross |
Author calculation, September 2026, on mid-case assumptions — your own numbers will differ, which is why the master table quotes net ranges, not points. The interest line also reduces taxable profit; the exact relief mechanics depend on your loan and letting history — run the final figure with your accountant.
Read that table twice before buying anything. An 8.4% gross headline becomes ~3.4% net at the 40% rate before mortgage interest — and adding a 70% LTV mortgage at ~4.25% costs roughly €7,300 a year in cash, which turns the same property into a single-digit-positive or negative cash-flow asset in year one, while you bank the appreciation and the capital repayments instead. That is not an argument against buying — it is the argument for buying in the balanced districts where growth does the heavy lifting, and for treating every “8% yield!” listing as an 8% gross yield until the bridge has been run.
What the net column in the master table assumes
The net ranges in the master table are built on this same bridge, at 40–52% marginal rates, with costs scaled to each district’s price tier and stock type: apartment districts carry heavier management lines, older local-authority stock carries heavier maintenance, and the premium southside carries the lightest costs but the thinnest income. Cash buyers at the 40% rate land at the top of each range; leveraged buyers at the 52% rate land below the bottom of it. If a source quotes you only a gross yield, treat it as an advertisement, not analysis — this category’s buy-to-let reality check models hold-vs-exit scenarios under the current rules.
The 2% rent cap: why Day-1 yield is now the whole game
Since 1 March 2026, the Residential Tenancies (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2026 replaced Rent Pressure Zones with one national system: in-tenancy rent increases are capped at the lower of CPI or 2% a year. With CPI at 3.4% in June 2026, 2% is the operative cap for existing tenancies, on 90 days’ notice with a same-day copy to the RTB. Qualifying new-build apartments (construction started after 10 June 2025) follow CPI only.
What this does to the gross-vs-net decision:
- In-tenancy growth is structurally capped at ~2%. The old assumption that rents inflate 4–6% a year and rescue a marginal purchase is gone. Your Day-1 yield is roughly the yield you keep — which is why this guide ranks on today’s registered rents, not on rent-growth fantasy.
- New lets still reset to market. When a tenancy turns over, the rent can be set at the current market rate (the average Dublin two-bed market rent was about €2,550–€2,650/month in Q2 2026, Daft via RTÉ) — so buying a property that can be re-let at market, rather than one locked into an old below-market tenancy, matters more than ever. Market resets are also available at the end of each rolling 6-year cycle.
- The register is your underwriting tool. The RTB Rent Register (live 1 March 2026, updated daily) lets you benchmark a property’s current and achievable rent against three comparable registered rents before you bid — no more guessing from asking-rent figures.
- Net-effect on area choice: districts where registered rents already sit close to market (high turnover, frequent new lets — most of the D1/D8/D10 ladder) preserve your reset optionality; districts with long-tenancy, below-market registered rents cap your realistic Day-1 income until turnover. Our rent-cap explainer walks through the mechanics for both tenants and landlords.
Auction and receiver-sale yields: the higher-gross route, with strings attached
The master table is built from private-treaty PPR sales. Auction and receiver lots — stock sold through Wilsons Auctions, BidX1 and the receiver-sale market — frequently change hands below the equivalent private-treaty price, and because gross yield divides rent by purchase price, a lower purchase price mechanically produces a higher gross yield for the same rent.
Worked example: a D7 house renting at €2,161/month would gross ~7.9% bought at the €330,000 district median — but bought at €290,000 (a realistic auction discount of 10–12% plus fees) the same rent grosses ~8.9%. At a 20% discount, ~9.9%. The headline can look like the top of the ladder for a fraction of the D1 entry price — but so can the cost lines.
The strings attached, before you chase auction yields:
- Cash or fast finance. Auction lots close quickly (typically 21–28 days to completion on BidX1; immediately on the rostrum at Wilsons) — no mortgage condition, no survey condition.
- You buy what you see. Most lots sell with limited or no structural survey, and some are in receivership precisely because the property was neglected. Budget the repair line before you celebrate the yield — the net bridge punishes a €20,000–€40,000 refurb you did not price in.
- Tenants in situ cut both ways. A receiver lot with a sitting tenant brings immediate income — but the registered rent may sit below market, and the 2% cap limits what you can raise it to between cycles. Check the RTB Register entry before bidding, not after.
- Fees and legal packs. Buyer fees (typically 1.5–2.5% on online auctions), legal-pack review and any arrears or possession complexity eat into the discount — net of fees, a “10–12% discount” is often 7–9%.
- They still register on the PPR. Auction prices feed the same register that builds district medians, so a run of receiver sales can nudge a district’s median — another reason to read medians as ranges, not precision.
Verdict: auction and receiver yields are real but conditional. They suit experienced, cash-ready investors who can price refurbishment and manage tenancy complexity; they are not the entry route for a first-time landlord who needs a mortgage and a survey.
Interactive: work out your own yield
Use the site’s rental-yield calculator to test any purchase: enter the price you expect to pay and the monthly rent the property can realistically achieve (check the RTB Rent Register for comparables), and it returns gross yield, estimated net yield at your marginal tax rate, and the rent you would need to hit a 5% net target. The interactive version is embedded on this page; the formula is the same one behind every table above:
Gross yield = (monthly rent × 12) ÷ purchase price × 100.
Net yield (est.) = gross yield less operating costs (management, insurance, LPT, maintenance, voids) and income tax at your marginal rate — before mortgage interest.
(Publisher: the standalone calculator embed — HTML + JS, no dependencies — is in the publisher notes at the end of this file.)
Frequently asked questions
What is the best rental yield area in Dublin in 2026?
On the registered-rent basis (RTB ÷ PPR), the highest gross yields are D1 North Inner City ~10.2%, D8 ~9.2%, D10 Ballyfermot ~8.7%, D11 Finglas ~8.4% and D7 ~7.9%. For the best net return after costs and tax — and for yield plus capital growth — D7, D12 and D9 are the balanced picks. (Dublish, March 2026; ranges, not promises.)
What is the average rental yield in Dublin?
About 7.0% gross across all dwelling types (Global Property Guide, Q2 2026): roughly 8.0% for 1-beds, 7.6% for 2-beds, 6.9% for 3-beds and 5.5% for 4+-beds. District figures range from about 5.0% (D6) to just over 10% (D1) on the registered basis — and net runs 2–4 points lower across the board.
How is rental yield calculated in Ireland?
Gross yield = annual rent ÷ purchase price × 100 (e.g., €2,000 a month on a €300,000 property = 8.0%). Net yield subtracts the landlord’s real costs — mortgage interest, LPT, insurance, management, maintenance, voids and income tax up to 52% — typically landing 2–4 points lower. Always check whether a quoted figure uses registered rents (RTB) or asking rents (Daft/MyHome): the basis changes the answer by several points.
What is the difference between gross and net yield?
Gross yield is rent ÷ price with nothing deducted — the universal comparison metric. Net yield is what you bank after costs and tax: typically 2–4 points lower, and the gap widens at the 52% top rate or with mortgage interest. A 7% gross yield is roughly 3.4% after top-rate tax, before expenses. This guide’s gross-vs-net rule of thumb: gross compares areas; net decides purchases.
Is buy-to-let still worth it in Dublin in 2026?
Only with honest maths. A 7–10% gross buy-to-let yield in Dublin’s north and west inner city is genuinely high by European standards, but net runs 2–4 points lower, mortgage interest can absorb another 2–3 points, and the 2% national rent cap limits in-tenancy growth — so the strategy now favours entry yield plus capital growth in the balanced districts (D7, D12, D9) over rental-increase upside anywhere. Model net at your own tax rate and LTV before committing.
How does the 2% rent cap affect rental yields?
Since 1 March 2026, in-tenancy increases are capped at the lower of CPI or 2% a year, so you can no longer underwrite on fast rent growth — your Day-1 yield is roughly the yield you keep. New lets can still be set at market, which is why high-turnover districts retain reset optionality and why checking the RTB Rent Register before you buy matters more than ever.
Are Dublin 6, D4 and Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown good for rental yield?
As income plays, no — 5.0–5.6% gross nets to roughly 2–3.5% after costs and tax. They are capital-growth plays: reliable appreciation in the least cyclical parts of Dublin’s market. Buy there for growth, not rent; buy D7/D12/D9 if you need the rent to work.
Do auction and receiver sales offer higher yields?
Often yes on the gross figure, because the purchase price is lower for the same rent — a 10–20% auction discount can lift gross yield by 1–2 points. But auction lots need cash or fast finance, sell without survey conditions, and often carry repair and tenancy complications. Experienced investors only.
Where can I check actual rents and sale prices myself?
The RTB Rent Register (live 1 March 2026, updated daily) shows registered rents for comparable properties — benchmark any target rent against three comparables. The Property Price Register (propertypriceregister.ie) records every sale price. Both are free and official.
Bottom line: pick the column you will actually be paid on
Dublin in 2026 rewards yield investors who buy where the rent already works, because the 2% cap means the rent will not grow its way out of a bad purchase. The gross-yield ladder runs D1 (~10.2%), D8 (~9.2%), D10 (~8.7%), D11 (~8.4%), D7 (~7.9%) on the registered-rent basis; the balanced growth-plus-rent picks are D7, D12 and D9; and the premium southside — D6, D4, DLR — is a capital play at 5.0–5.6% gross. Net everything at your own tax rate and mortgage terms before committing, treat auction-discount yields as the experienced-investor route they are, and remember the guide’s core message: gross yield is what the property earns; net yield is what you keep.
- Yield investor? North and west inner city: D1, D8, D10, D11 — and underwrite 2%-a-year rent growth under the new cap.
- Growth-plus-rent (the best net maths for most)? D7, D12, D9 — the balanced column of the master table.
- Capital only? D6, D4, DLR — expect 5–5.6% gross and roughly half that net.
- Cash buyer with refurbishment appetite? Run the auction/receiver screen (Wilsons, BidX1) against the same district yields — then run the net bridge on the discounted price.
Get the data, not the guesswork. Download “Dublin by the Numbers 2026” — our free PDF with every shortlisted district’s medians, growth and yields — gross and net — on one screen, refreshed quarterly.
Book a free 15-minute investor consultation. Tell us your budget, your yield target and whether you will be mortgaged, and we will shortlist the two or three districts (and property types) worth your weekend viewings — with the net-yield bridge you should underwrite, run on your numbers.
Read the set. The best-areas hub ranks the same districts by buyer type, investor ladder included; the buy-to-let reality check under the 2% cap is the companion piece to this table; and the rent-cap explainer covers the rules every landlord now operates under. Area guides for Dublin 12 and the D7/D6-v-D4 postcodes publish through the autumn.
Data: RTB Rent Register and Property Price Register via Dublish (March 2026), CSO Residential Property Price Index (12 months to June 2026), Global Property Guide (Q2 2026), Daft.ie rental reports via RTÉ (2026). All figures checked 5 September 2026 and refreshed quarterly. This guide is general information, not financial, tax or legal advice — model net yields with a tax advisor before committing capital.
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