Adaptations

Background

The private rented sector (PRS) is accommodating an increasingly diverse group of tenants, including more disabled and older individuals than ever before. As a result, there is a growing demand for adapted properties in the PRS.

By 2046, it is projected that the number of UK households in the PRS headed by a person aged 65 or older will double, highlighting the need for landlords to adapt to a wider range of tenants with varying needs.

Given these demographic shifts and the increasing proportion of housing stock held by the PRS, private landlords must be prepared to accommodate for a broader range of tenant needs than they have traditionally done before.

About the Campaign

The NRLA is campaigning to improve the accessibility of the PRS to ensure the sector can meet the current and future demand for adapted properties.

For the sector to meet this demand, policy and decision makers at both the local and national level need to devise strategies to enable the PRS to address the challenge of delivering accessible homes.

We are calling for:

Greater cooperation between local authorities and landlords to resolve the urgent need for more adapted properties in the PRS.
Clearer communication from local authorities concerning the availability of the Disabled Facilities Grant and other relevant forms of funding for installing adaptations.

Local authorities to consider the wider needs of elderly and disabled tenants through strategic planning.

Our Impact

The NRLA is engaging with local authorities to develop ways of increasing the supply of adapted properties in the PRS and are raising awareness of the advantages of improving the accessibility of properties within the sector.

With the support of expert partners, we have launched our Adaptations Guidance for landlords. The first of its kind, it aims to support landlords in better managing tenant requests for home adaptations.
To understand the difficulties associated with providing adapted homes in the PRS, we have conducted research that analyses these barriers and offered solutions for how they can be addressed.
As part of our adaptations campaign, we continue to lobby the Government to increase engagement with landlords on adaptations and the Disabled Facilities Grant, with recommendations for practical action by local authorities.