The private rented sector (PRS) occupies an uneasy position in the English housing market. Currently, it is the most expensive housing tenure and the one with the worst housing conditions.
In many countries, a healthy PRS offering quality housing across price points is a vital part of the housing market and valued as a stable, long-term tenure. In England however it is often seen as a less desirable option. Successive governments have prioritised home ownership and social housing over the PRS, even as the sector has grown. Since the early 2000s, the number of people living in the PRS in England has doubled and today, the PRS is the second-largest housing tenure in England, home to 4.6 million people, or 19% of all households.
As the PRS has grown, so too have issues with the availability, affordability and quality of homes in this sector. The need for reform is widely recognised; lack of security of tenure and poor housing quality are the focus of the Renters Rights Bill currently making its way through Parliament. The bill does not, however, comprehensively tackle the issue of affordability despite the fact that many people on low incomes rely on the PRS but struggle to find affordable options.
