Rapid rise of London’s private rented sector revealed

The number of private rented homes in London increased by 685,000 over the two decades to 2023. According to a paper by the London Assembly Research Unit, the number of homes rented from private registered providers of social housing also increased, by 130,000 since 2002. The number of local authority and owner-occupied homes in London, meanwhile, decreased in this period. The paper also found that housing density is higher in London than in other major UK cities. Across London, there were 24.1 homes per hectare in 2023. This is around twice the density of the West Midlands, which has 13.35 homes per hectare, Merseyside, which has 10.29, Greater Manchester, with 9.94, and Tyne and Wear, with 9.87, in metropolitan areas. Dwelling density in inner London is now at 50.99 homes per hectare, while in outer London it is 17.26. Over the last 12 years, dwelling density has risen at a faster rate in inner London. The increase in outer London has matched that of England as a whole. Research Unit analysis of government data also found that one in nine homes in London were flats in buildings with six or more storeys. The report also included analysis of English Housing Survey data, which indicates that more than half (50.6%) of homes built in London since 2002 are flats in high-rise buildings. Chair of the London Assembly planning and regeneration committee Andrew Boff said: “London’s ongoing housing crisis is well-known, yet far less is said about the types of housing Londoners are living in and the nature of the new homes being built in the capital. “The data and analysis in this paper will help the committee understand what Londoners’ needs are, and whether they are being met by the mayor’s home-building programmes.” See analytics data for Greater London >> Photo © Richard Gardner/Shutterstock