New reports show increase in rent prices and waiting times for social housing in Waterford
Housing supply across Ireland's four cities, excluding Dublin, decreased by 31%
New reports commissioned by Daft.ie and SIPTU have shown that rental prices in Waterford continue to rise, while the waiting list for social housing has increased by 27%.
Daft.ie’s 2025 Q4 housing report showed 1 and 2-bed rental apartments in Waterford City rising by 16.3% and 12% from 2024 Q4. 2-bed and 3-bed houses rose by 9% and 9.6% over the same time frame.
4-bed houses decreased by 4.6%.
Rental supply across Ireland’s four cities (excluding Dublin) experienced a downturn, decreasing by 31% year-on-year. Daft.ie’s figures show there were just 302 rooms available to rent across the four cities.
Market rents in the four cities are now on average 57% above their pre-COVID levels and twice their Celtic Tiger peak.
Figures from SIPTU showed 50 local authority houses were built between January and September 2025 in Waterford.
There were over 1,400 households on Waterford’s social housing list in 2024. The waiting list increased by 27% from 2019-2024. 42% of individuals on the social housing list were living with parents or friends.
While the average new house price for first-time buyers was the lowest in Waterford compared to Limerick, Cork and Galway, prices have risen quicker than the national average from 2019-2024 (38.9%).
