Census 2021 shows a record number of people renting privately

Results from the last five Continuous Household Surveys estimated that between 11 and 13% of households in Northern Ireland rent their home from a private landlord. However, recently released census figures give us a more accurate picture of the housing situation. There are now 132,436 households renting privately. This means private renters now make up 17.5% of all households in Northern Ireland. This is in stark contrast to 20 years ago when just 6.6% of homes were paying money to private landlords.   

Social housing shortage pushing demand in the private rented sector 

In the same period, the number of people in housing stress - having 30 or more housing selection scheme points - has more than doubled, from 13,000 to over 30,000. This is partly reflected in the number of households in social housing which dropped from 21.6% to 15.4% between 2001 and 2011. It remains close to that level despite 44,000 people remaining on the social housing waiting list.   

Private renters facing a unique set of challenges 

Social housing sets rents at lower levels to reflect tenants’ actual income. Because of this shortage of social homes, more people must now rent from private landlords. For most private tenancies, there are no restrictions on how much landlords can charge and renters have seen a 9.5% increase in rents over the last year. There is also a poorer standard of regulation in privately rented homes.  This means that many people on low incomes, unable to access a social home, may only be able to afford properties in very poor condition. 

Fewer people taking up mortgages 

The 2021 census has also shown that there are about 25% fewer homeowners with mortgages than there were 20 years ago. There may be many reasons for this, such as people finding it more difficult to save for a deposit and rising house prices. But rising interest rates are likely to exacerbate this trend in the future. This may also lead to people deciding to rent for longer, increasing demand for privately rented homes and driving rents up further.   

Help and advice for renters 

In the midst of a cost of living crisis, renters are facing many challenges, from dealing with rent shortfalls to putting up with expensive and inefficient heating systems. Around a third of the people who contact Housing Rights are renting privately, even though renters only account for about a sixth of the population. An affordable, warm home is key to a healthy life. But the instability that comes with renting can worsen physical and mental issues.  

If you’re having problems in your rented home, contact us:  

• by phone on 028 9024 5640, or  

• chat online to one of our advisors at https://www.housingadviceni.org/