The private rented sector has grown to its highest level (17%) since the early 1990s, equalling the size of the social rented sector at 3.8 million households according to the 2011-12 English housing survey from the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG).
The survey revealed that 65% of households are now owner-occupied, a fall since the peak of 71% in 2003 but it is proportionally similar to the 2010-11 figure.
Of the 7.7 million households renting their homes, there was an even split between the social rented sector and the private rented sector with each sector accounting for 3.8 million. However within the social rented sector, 1.8 million households (47%) rented from a local authority and 2 million (53%) from a housing association.
Average weekly rents in the private rented sector continue to be significantly higher than in the social rented sector (£164pw compared with £83pw), whilst the mean rents have increased in both sectors since 2008-09 with the private sector up by £11pw and social rents by £12pw.
Tenants who have been renting for less than three years were on average paying a weekly rent of £173 compared with £159 for those resident for between three to nine years and £123 for those resident ten years or more, indicating that private sector rents for long established tenancies do not increase year on year as much as those for new
tenancies.
Around a third (32%) of private renters had lived in their homes for less than one year, compared with only 3% of owner occupiers and 9% of social renters. Whilst approximately three-fifths (61%) of owner occupiers and 44% of social renters had been in their home for at least ten years, in contrast to just 9% of private renters.
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