Rental Market Watch: New Lettings Down, Social Rent Levels Rising

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities has published updated Live Tables on rents, lettings and tenancies, offering insight into the changing dynamics of the social housing sector.

While some trends remain stable, others reveal growing pressures on councils and housing associations — and tenants alike.

Fewer New Lettings Across England

• The number of new social housing lettings fell again in 2023–24, reflecting ongoing pressures on housing stock.

• Local authorities recorded continued strain on general needs housing, with many areas reporting rising waiting lists and slower turnover.

Rents Continue to Rise

• Average weekly social rent for local authority homes now stands at £92.86, up from £88.34 the year before.

• Housing association rents are typically higher, with general needs rents averaging £108.55 per week.

• Affordable rent tenancies remain significantly more expensive than traditional social rent, with average weekly costs of £135.42 in 2023–24.

Know Your Sources

The live tables are based on a range of datasets including:

• CORE (Continuous Recording of Lettings and Sales) — capturing individual lettings data from housing providers.

• Local authority returns — used for council housing statistics.

• Registered Provider submissions — primarily from housing associations.

For analysts and policy professionals, a detailed guide to the underlying methodology and discontinued data tables is available here:

Rents, lettings and tenancies: notes and definitions

 Explore the data

Browse the full set of live tables, including:

• Table 702 – Average weekly rents

• Table 701 – Lettings by type of landlord and tenancy

• Table 703 – Social housing relets and turnover rates

📎 Access here:
Live tables on rents, lettings and tenancies (Gov.uk)