Government housing survey reveals renting rise

Homeownership is in decline while the number of private renters has risen by 1.3 million since 2001 to 3.4 million in 2009-2010, the Department for Communities and Local Government has revealed.

The English Housing Survey showed a decrease in the number of owner occupied households from a peak of 14.8 million in 2005 and 2006 to 14.5 million in 2009-10.

The report found that in 2009-10 social renters paid on average £75 per week in rent and private renters £153. Around 62% of social renters received housing benefit compared to 24% of private renters.

In 2009-10 1.8 million households had moved into their current home during the previous 12 months. This was 200,000 less than in 2008-09 and 600,000 less than in 2007-08. The reduction was almost all in the owner occupied sector.

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