Dublin City Council's Housing and Social Inclusion Strategic Policy Committee has voted 11 to 8 in favour of a motion calling for the reversal of municipal council rent increases introduced earlier this year.

The motion, brought forward by People Before Profit Councillor Conor Reddy, comes as local representatives begin early preparations for the council's 2027 budget. The rent increases took effect on April 6 under an updated Differential Rent Scheme, representing the first major structural update to Dublin social housing rent calculations in 30 years.

The updated rent scheme was originally incorporated into the council's 2026 budget, which passed by a single vote in November 2025. Opposing councillors had unsuccessfully proposed alternative measures, including commercial rate adjustments for large corporations, to fund housing stock maintenance without raising residential rates.

During Monday's debate, committee members pointed to the ongoing financial pressures on households dealing with elevated living costs. Figures raised during the discussion indicated that only six council tenants and roughly 20 Housing Assistance Payment households across Dublin had received relief through the council's dedicated hardship scheme to date.

Speaking after the motion passed, Councillor Reddy said the vote demonstrated that a majority of the housing committee opposed requiring local authority tenants to bear the cost of rent increases amidst broader cost-of-living challenges.

The remaining four area committees across Dublin City Council are expected to vote on similar rent-reversal motions over the next two weeks ahead of upcoming municipal budget negotiations.