The headline report for the 2022-23 English Housing Survey was released back in December, but the more detailed reports – covering areas like the rental sectors, housing quality, and affordability – have only recently become available. 

The main conclusion from the data is that the Private Rented Sector (PRS) remains stable and is performing better than recent media coverage might suggest. It accounts for 19% of the housing market, the same proportion as ten years ago, with 4.6 million households in privately rented accommodation in England. 

Affordability remains manageable ‘on average’

Despite significant rent increases between 2022 and 2023, the majority of private tenants (71%) reported no issues affording their rent, with only 5% currently or previously in arrears. 

As expected, private rents in London were notably higher than elsewhere in the country, with the average rent in London at £356 per week, compared to £190 per week outside the capital. Nationally, private rents averaged £232 per week, more than double the £111 per week paid by social tenants. 

On average, private renters spent nearly a third (32%) of their household income on housing costs, a higher proportion than homeowners with a mortgage (18%) and social tenants (26%).  

Additionally, while spending 32% of income on housing is slightly above what’s typically considered ‘affordable,’ this figure is an average, meaning some tenants pay more, while others pay less. 

The average tenancy length remains steady at 4.3 years

On average, tenants have spent 4.3 years in their current home, a figure that has remained consistent over the past five years.  

The most common tenancy length among all private renters was less than a year (22%), largely driven by younger renters, with more than half of those aged 16 to 24 having lived in their current home for less than 12 months. 

In contrast, for renters aged 75 and over, the most common length of residence was 10-19 years (21%). 

Across all age groups, 39% of tenants reported renting privately for a period of three to ten years. 

Most tenants feel secure, with few evictions for problematic reasons

Only 9% of tenants who had moved in the previous three years reported being evicted or asked to leave. In over two-thirds of those cases, it was because the landlord wanted to sell or use the property themselves. 

This means that, contrary to media narratives, only around 3% of evictions between 2020 and 2023 were contentious. 

Overall, most tenants feel secure, with 75% saying their rental feels like home and 78% agreeing with the statement, “I currently feel safe from eviction.” 

Energy efficiency in rented homes has seen slight improvements in recent years

The average energy efficiency rating (EER) for privately rented homes increased to 65.5, up from 64 in 2019. Flats were slightly more energy-efficient, with an average rating of 67.6, compared to 64.1 for houses and bungalows. 

In terms of energy bands, 45% of privately rented properties were rated A to C, up from 38% in 2019. Meanwhile, 43% had a D rating, and 12% were rated E or below. 

Landlords taking proactive steps to improve the energy efficiency of their properties will make rentals more attractive to tenants by lowering ongoing running costs. 

Type and condition of private rented sector (PRS) housing

Houses and bungalows make up 60% of properties in the PRS, with the remaining 40% being flats. PRS stock is generally older than in other housing sectors, with almost a third of PRS homes built before 1919, compared to 20% of owner-occupied homes and 7% of social housing. 

Around 21% of PRS homes (just over a million) did not meet the Decent Homes Standard, showing a slight improvement from 23% in 2019, before the pandemic. In comparison, 14% of owner-occupied homes and just 10% of social housing were classified as ‘non-decent.’ The highest percentage of non-decent PRS properties was in the North-West (32%), while London had the lowest proportion at 12%. 

Under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS), PRS properties were also the most likely to have a Category 1 hazard (579,000 homes, or 12% of the sector, a small reduction from 13% in 2019), whereas social housing had the lowest incidence at 5%. Additionally, 9% of PRS homes had damp issues, compared to 5% of social housing and 2% of owner-occupied homes. 

These figures may reflect the fact that the Decent Homes Standard does not yet formally apply to the PRS, though future rental reform proposals aim to change this. While it’s positive that four out of five PRS homes are considered decent, there is still room for improvement. 

Want to know more about the lettings services LRG can offer you and how we ensure every property we let meets minimum standards for health and safety? Fill in the form by clicking on the button to find out more about the exclusive discount* we can provide.   

*T&Cs apply 

• #leaders