Automated rent arrears collection for a landlord in Dublin: cost in 2026

The verdict in three sentences

For a family property company with 1,300 units in Dublin and 4.5% of rent unpaid at 30 days, manual collection now costs more than automating it. An off-the-shelf collection module (EUR 200 to 700 a month) is enough if your property management software offers it natively, while a custom connected workflow (EUR 10,000 to 25,000 excl. VAT) pays off as soon as reminders must combine lease type, guarantor, commercial tenant and payment history. Aim for 30 to 40% fewer arrears after a 6 to 10 week project, provided you lock the reminder sequence before choosing the tool.

What arrears really cost a 1,300-unit portfolio

Take a typical Dublin portfolio: 1,150 homes at an average EUR 850 and 150 shops at EUR 2,400 (figures kept identical to our French benchmark for comparison; Dublin residential rents run higher). Monthly billing reaches about EUR 1,340,000. With 4.5% unpaid at 30 days, close to EUR 60,000 sits idle every month, with 70 to 90 cases to chase and a property team spending month-end on the phone. The share that ends as a definitive loss (tenant leaving without notice, shop going into liquidation) is around 8% of that balance.

Speed is the main lever: a tenant reminded on day 3 with a payment link usually pays within 5 days, while a delay spotted on day 15 often becomes a two-month debt.

Off-the-shelf module or custom workflow: the 2026 grid

Three families of tools coexist. The right choice depends less on the sticker price than on the data quality of your property management software and the variety of your leases.

At Kolonell, a reminder workflow connected to your software falls under our custom application grid: 2,500,000 to 4,000,000 FCFA (EUR 3,810 to 6,100) for a simple sequence, 4,000,000 to 7,000,000 FCFA (EUR 6,100 to 10,670) with scoring, payment plans and a payment portal. Maintenance is then 35,000, 75,000 or 120,000 FCFA a month (EUR 50, 110 or 180).

The reminder sequence that brings arrears down

The tool adds nothing without a written sequence approved by management and legal counsel. In Ireland it must follow the Residential Tenancies Act: a written arrears warning giving the tenant 28 days to pay, with a copy to the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB), before any termination notice. Commercial leases follow their own forfeiture clauses.

On GDPR, reminders rely on performance of the lease contract: inform tenants in the lease, limit how long histories are kept and ban any wording that could be read as harassment.

Mini case study

Siobhan, finance director of a family property company with 1,300 units in Dublin, starts from EUR 60,000 of arrears at 30 days and about EUR 57,600 of definitive losses a year. With a 35% reduction, losses fall by EUR 20,160. Her 80 monthly cases drop from 55 to 15 minutes: 53 hours saved a month, or EUR 22,300 a year at a loaded EUR 35 per hour. Lower postage saves another EUR 2,400. Annual gain: about EUR 44,900. Against that, a custom workflow at EUR 18,000 plus EUR 300 a month costs EUR 21,600 in year one: payback in roughly six months.

FAQ

Is a module built into the property software enough? Yes for a uniform residential portfolio, at EUR 200 to 400 a month. Once you manage shops, multiple guarantors or payment plans, a custom build at EUR 10,000 to 25,000 becomes more profitable.

How long before arrears go down? First results show from the second billing cycle. The 30 to 40% reduction is usually measured after 3 to 4 months of a stable sequence.

Are SMS reminders legal? Yes, if they relate to a real debt, stay factual and respect reasonable hours. An SMS costs EUR 0.08 to 0.12 and is read in over 90% of cases.

Should the reminder include online payment? It is the most effective lever: a card or direct debit link sharply cuts payment delays. Expect 0.5 to 1.5% fees depending on the provider.

What is left for the property manager? The 10 to 20% of sensitive cases that need a human conversation. The rest follows the automatic sequence, with a full history if a dispute goes to the RTB.

Let's scope your project. Send us your property software, unit count and arrears rate, and we will price a connected reminder workflow with an indicative budget and a 6 to 10 week timeline. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.