Government figures highlight importance of the private rented sector

Government figures have confirmed the increasing importance of the private rented sector (PRS), with a growing proportion of households relying on the sector for their housing needs.

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 PRS now accounts for 14.2% of all households in England, up from 12.7% in 2007 and 10.1% in 2001.

Nigel Terrington, Paragon Group chief executive, says: ‘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.'