Dublin rents rose by 4.9 per cent in the second quarter of 2014 and are up by 10.5 per cent for the 12 months to the end of June.

According to new figures published by the Private Residential Tenancy Board (PRTB), rents for Dublin apartments rose by 5.6 per cent in the second quarter.

Outside of the capital, rents increased by 1.7 per cent during the second quarter and were up 2.6 per cent compared to the same three-month period in 2013.

Monthly rents for houses outside of Dublin increased by 2.4 per cent in the year to the end of June, while rents for apartment located away from the capital rose by 3.2 per cent.

Nationally, monthly rent levels rose by 3 per cent from the first to the second quarter of 2014 with rents for houses up 2.6 per cent and apartments up 3.4 per cent.

In the second quarter of 2014, monthly rents were close to 19 per cent lower than their peak in late 2007, with Dublin rents down 12.7 per cent.

Rents for houses are 22.3 per cent cheaper than they were in the fourth quarter of 2007, according to the PRTB. Rents for houses outside Dublin are 25.2 per cent lower while rents for houses in the capital are 11.7 per cent cheaper.

The PRTB said monthly rents for apartments are 16.1 per cent lower than they were at their peak in the first quarter of 2008.

Dublin accounted for 39 per cent of the rental market at the end of June with the majority of rental properties in the capital consisting of apartments.

More than 300,000 rental properties were registered with the PRTB at the end of June, it said.