Industry News
Main findings of the English Housing Survey released
T
he results of the annual survey of housing conditions and occupants in England has been released and they provide a wealth of
fascinating information for anyone with an interest in the nation’s housing and who lives in it. Tis article focuses on the rented sectors which
together make up 35% of all households in England, with 4.6 million households in the private rented sector (19% of all households) and 4 million households in the social rented sector (16%). Households in the rented sectors tended to be
younger, more ethnically and nationally diverse, and contained a higher proportion of households with dependent children than owner occupation. In 2022/23, HRPs in the private rented sector
were the youngest, with a mean age of 41. Social renters followed with a mean of 53 (53 years old for housing association tenants and 54 years old for local authority tenants). Tis compares to a mean age of 57 among owner occupiers. Te private rented sector had a lower proportion
of HRPs from the United Kingdom or Republic of Ireland (70%) than the social rented sector (90%), both of which were lower than owner occupied (96%). Households with dependent children were
more common within the rented sectors (private renters: 30%; social renters: 31%) than among owner occupiers (23%). Te rented sectors presented similar proportions of households with dependent children.
PAYING RENT Te majority of renters say they find it easy to pay their rent and are not in rental arrears. However, households in the social rented sector are more likely to be in arrears than households in the private rented sector. Social renters were more likely to have been in
arrears either currently or over the past year, than private renters. Approximately 593,000 (15%) social rented households were either currently or previously in arrears when interviewed, compared to 229,000 (5%) private rented households. Te majority of private (71%) and social
(73%) renters reported it was easy to pay rent. Approximately 1.2 million (29%) private rented households reported finding it difficult to pay their rent. A further 852,000 (27%) social rented households reported finding it difficult to pay their rent. While households with dependent children
in both rented sectors were more likely to be in arrears in the past year than households without, households in the social rented sector with dependent children (22%) were more likely to have currently or previously been in arrears than private rented households with dependent children (8%). Social renters are less likely to have savings than private renters, and both groups are less likely to
have savings than owner occupiers. More owner occupiers (79%) had savings than either private renters (54%) or social renters (27%). Just under a quarter (24%) of private renters who
were lone parents with dependent children had savings. Tis was a lower proportion than any other private renting household type, which ranged from 45% to 66%. Social renters who were lone parents with
dependent children (14%) were less likely to have savings than private renters who were lone parents with dependent children.
REASONS FOR MOVING While most renters ended their last tenancy because they wanted to move, a minority were evicted or asked to leave by their landlord. In 2022/23, most private renters (63%, 424,000
households) who had moved in the last 12 months cited they had decided to end their tenancy because they wanted to move. Much like the private rented sector, the most common reason for social renters ending their last tenancy was because they wanted to move (63%, 38,000 households). Other reasons given by private renters
included that the tenancy was for a fixed period (19%, 130,000 households), the tenancy ended by mutual agreement (10%, 69,000 households), or were asked to leave by their landlord or agent (9%, 61,000 households).
16 | HMMAugust/September 2024 |
www.housingmmonline.co.uk
A minority chose to end their last tenancy due to rent increases (2%, 11,000 households), accommodation that was linked to a job that ended (2%) or had a poor relationship with the landlord (1%, 7,000 households). Over one quarter of social renters (27%, 17,000
households) reported their last tenancy ended because they were asked to leave by the landlord/ agent, which was higher than the proportion of private renters asked to leave by the landlord/agent (9%, 61,000 households). Social renters are more likely to have experienced
homelessness than private renters and are more likely to have a member of the household on the waiting list for social housing. Within the social rented sector, 8% of renters
(around 319,000 households) had experienced homelessness in the past few years. Tis was higher than the proportion of private renters (4%, around 193,000 households) and owner occupiers (<1%, around 41,000 households). Overall, 9% of social renters (373,000
households) reported someone in their household was on the council housing and/or housing association waiting list, which was higher than the proportion of private renters (6%, 280,000 households). Nearly one in 10 privately renting households
were refused a tenancy in the past twelve months because they were in receipt of benefits.
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