How many households rent privately in England?
About 4.7 million households in England rented privately in 2024-25, 19% of all households, according to the English Housing Survey 2024 to 2025 headline findings, published 4 December 2025. Owner occupiers made up 65% and social renters 16%. The private rented share has been around 19% to 20% since 2013-14, after the sector roughly doubled in size from the early 2000s.
The survey counts households. MHCLG's dwelling stock estimates count homes instead and put the private rented sector at 5 million dwellings on 31 March 2025, so the two figures differ. Survey estimates have margins of error, so small changes from one year to the next may not be statistically significant. The 2021 census gives tenure for every local area in England and Wales.
When is the next figure out?
DWP statistics are pre-announced on the GOV.UK research and statistics calendar and published at 9:30am. Universal Credit statistics moved from monthly to quarterly releases in February, May, August and November after a 2026 consultation, with the final monthly release on 14 April 2026; provisional estimates were dropped and each quarterly release adds three months of finalised data. The benefits compendium, Benefit Combinations and National Insurance number allocations are now released together once a year. Fraud and error estimates appear each spring, and expenditure tables follow the Budget and spring forecast.
Every official release due in the next two weeks is on the release calendar.
Where the figures come from
- Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) statistics and Stat-XploreWhere to find DWP figures on Universal Credit, PIP, State Pension and Pension Credit, how to build a Stat-Xplore table and use the free Open Data API.
- MHCLG housing and homelessness statistics (with MoJ possessions and devolved equivalents)Official figures on temporary accommodation, rough sleeping, waiting lists, social lettings, evictions and tenure in England and the rest of the UK.
Related questions
- How much are rents rising in the UK?
- How many evictions and repossessions are there in England and Wales?
- How many people claim Housing Benefit?
This answer says where the official figures are published and how they are defined. It gives no verdict on any claim. To report an error, send a correction request. More questions about homelessness, social housing and renting: all Homelessness, social housing and renting questions.