Market News
UK rental sector rises by 1m in 10 years
01/03/2010
The Communities and Local Government’s English Housing Report, published this week, shows that the number of households renting privately has risen by one million since 2001, from 2.1 million to 3.1 million in 2008-09.
The Private Rental Sector now accounts for 14.2 per cent of all households in England, up from 12.7 per cent in 2007 and 10.1 per cent in 2001.
The report also revealed the number of owner-occupier households decreased from a peak of 14.8 million in 2006 to 14.6 million in 2008-09.
The proportion of households in owner-occupation has been in decline since 2003, falling from 70.9 per cent to 67.9 per cent during the period. The proportion of social renting households is also in decline, falling from 19.5% in 2001 to 17.7% in 2007, although there was a slight pick-up to 17.8% in 2008-09.
Of those surveyed, 41 per cent of private renters rely on the PRS for their long-term housing needs and have no intention of purchasing a home. One-person households are the most common type of household in the PRS (30%), followed by couples without children (25%) and couples with dependent children (17%)
The PRS provides housing for a wide range of age groups – 48 per cent of private renters are aged 34 or under, with 22 per cent in the 35-44 age group, 12 per cent in 45-54 group and 16 per cent over the age of 5. The survey also showed a diverse economic status, with 61 per cent of households in full-time employment, nine per cent in part-time work, five per cent unemployed, nine per cent are retired and 17 per cent are classed as ‘other inactive.’
Nigel Terrington, Paragon Group chief executive, said: “The CLG’s figures highlight the diverse range of households who call the private rented sector home. The sector’s importance to the UK’s housing needs is growing annually as increasing numbers of people decide to rent – owner-occupation has been in decline since 2003 and we believe that this trend will continue as potential buyers are either unwilling or unable to step on the housing ladder. The UK’s population is forecast to grow from 61 million today to 71.6 million by 2033, but housing completions aren’t keeping pace with household formation and there is growing dislocation between people’s desire to purchase and their ability to do so.
“In addition, the UK is experiencing major socioeconomic and demographic changes. There are growing numbers of single person households, economic migrants and students, and these groups all have a greater propensity to rent rather than buy. People are also getting married and starting families at a later age, so the average first-time buyer age is creeping up, while affordability is a growing problem for most people that want to get on the housing ladder.
“The Government must recognise the importance of the PRS to the UK’s housing needs and foster an environment that encourages the continued investment in the sector by individual landlords. It needs to ensure that the sector isn’t dominated by red tape and that there is available finance to enable landlords to expand the number of properties in the PRS. If the sector is unable to grow to meet demand, we are likely to experience rental inflation and people, including the most vulnerable households, being priced out of the sector.”