According to a new report from Nationwide, England’s total housing stock has grown by 2.1 million dwellings over the last decade, reaching 25.4 million in 2023. This 9% increase slightly outpaced the population growth of 7% over the same period.

The report breaks down the housing stock by tenure:

• Owner-Occupied: 16.3 million dwellings (64%)
• Privately Rented: 4.9 million dwellings (19%)
• Social Rented: 4.2 million dwellings (16%)

While the overall mix of property types hasn’t changed much, there have been some key shifts. Flats now make up a higher proportion of privately rented homes (42%) and are the predominant type in the social rented sector (45%). In contrast, flats account for only 10% of owner-occupied properties, where semi-detached houses are most common (29%).

The average floor area of properties has increased slightly, from 95.3m² to 96.2m² over the decade, but flats are now 1.7% smaller on average. Despite this, England’s dwellings are still smaller than the EU average.

The report also highlights a significant imbalance in property usage. A remarkable 53% of owner-occupied properties are “under-occupied,” meaning they have two or more spare bedrooms. By contrast, only 16% of private rentals are under-occupied, and in the social rented sector, overcrowding is a greater concern, affecting 8% of properties.

In terms of energy efficiency, the social rented sector leads the way, with 72% of properties rated A to C, compared to around 48% in the private rented and owner-occupied sectors. The adoption of green technologies is on the rise, with 6% of dwellings having solar panels and 7% having an EV charge point, although heat pumps are still rare, found in just over 1% of homes.