Question 1

How do I find sold house prices?

Accepted Answer

HM Land Registry's Price Paid Data lists every residential sale in England and Wales at full market value since 1995, with the price, date and address. You can search it free online or download the whole file. New sales usually appear within a few months, once registration is complete. Scotland's sale prices are held by Registers of Scotland and Northern Ireland's by Land and Property Services.

Question 2

How many people are homeless in England?

Accepted Answer

MHCLG publishes quarterly statutory homelessness statistics, including the number of households in temporary accommodation and the number of children in them. A separate annual rough sleeping snapshot counts people sleeping rough on one night each autumn. These measure different things: most homeless households are in temporary accommodation, not on the street. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland publish their own figures.

Question 3

How much are rents rising in the UK?

Accepted Answer

The ONS Price Index of Private Rents is the official measure of rent changes for private tenants across the UK, published monthly with average rents and annual change by region and local authority. It tracks rents across all tenancies, not just new lets, so it rises more slowly than advertised rents.

Question 4

How do I find out who owns a property?

Accepted Answer

In England and Wales, download the title register for a property from HM Land Registry. It shows the owner, the price paid if recorded, and any mortgage. An online copy costs £7. Around 12% of the land area of England and Wales is not yet registered. Overseas companies owning UK property must be on the Register of Overseas Entities at Companies House. Scotland uses Registers of Scotland, and Northern Ireland uses Land and Property Services.

Question 5

What is the average house price in the UK?

Accepted Answer

The official measure is the UK House Price Index, produced by HM Land Registry, the ONS, Registers of Scotland and Land and Property Services Northern Ireland. It gives average prices and annual change for the UK, each nation, region and local authority, and is published monthly. The index is based on completed sales, so it lags behind asking prices and mortgage approvals by a couple of months. Latest months are revised as more sales are registered.

Question 6

How many homes are built each year in England?

Accepted Answer

The main official measure is "net additional dwellings", published each November by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. It counts new builds plus conversions and changes of use, minus demolitions. Quarterly house building starts and completions are a separate, smaller measure. Government housing targets are usually measured against net additional dwellings, so check which series a claim uses.

Housing and house prices: your questions answered