There are Around 37 per cent of homes – around 8.7 million households with two or more spare bedrooms – under-occupied England homes, according to a study by English Housing Survey
There are high levels of under-occupied England homes, with more than a third of all homes in the region being under-occupied, that’s according to the latest English Housing Survey, with the rate among properties that are owned by the occupier jumping to more than 50 per cent.
There are around 37 per cent of under-occupied England homes, which translates to around 8.7 million households with two or more spare bedrooms, the study found.
More than half of owner occupied properties were under-occupied, compared to just 14 per cent of private rented properties and less than eight per cent of social rented households.
The survey measures overcrowding and under-occupation by comparing the difference between the number of bedrooms needed to avoid undesirable sharing, and the actual number of bedrooms in the property.
The proportion of owner-occupied homes with spare bedrooms has surged over the last two decades, rising from 41 per cent to its current level.
The survey also revealed that the standard of housing in England has risen over the past decade, with around 18 per cent of homes, equating to around 4.3 million, failing to meet the decent homes standard, a significant drop from the 33 per cent measured in 2008.
Around 17 per cent of owner occupied homes fail to meet the standard, ahead of the 12 per cent of social rented homes. Standard of housing for private rented properties is also significantly low as one in four private rented properties are classed as being of an indecent standard.
Overall, the study found there were an estimated 24.2 million dwellings in England in 2018. Of these 63 per cent were owner occupied, with a further 20 per cent privately rented.
Another 1.6 million were local authority, while 2.5 million were housing association homes.
Around 92 per cent of owner occupied dwellings were houses and bungalows, compared to 63 per cent of privately rented properties and 56 per cent of social rented stock.
The survey also found that more first-time buyers are tapping into their savings to help fund their purchase over the last year, while the proportion of income devoted by borrowers to their mortgage payments has remained at 18 per cent.
