To provide a resin composition for an image receiving layer of an ink jet recording sheet which enables high-degree improvement of water resistance and ink absorbing properties even in the environment of high resolution and high-speed printing and to provide the ink jet recording sheet which enables attainment of both the water resistance and the ink absorbing properties being the characteristics contradictory to each other, while improving a print quality, by using the composition.

The resin composition for the ink jet recording sheet, which constitutes the image receiving layer formed at least on one surface of a base for the ink jet recording sheet, consists of a cationic acryl copolymer (A) of 2-100 wt.% prepared by copolymerizing a monomer having an alkylene oxide group, a monomer containing a hydrophilic group, a monomer containing a crosslinkable group and a monomer containing a cationic monomer, a saponified material of a vinyl acetate copolymer (B) of 0-90 wt.% and a modifier (C) of 5-60 wt.%. The ink jet recording sheet is prepared by using the resin composition and by forming it at least on one surface, as the image receiving layer.