A headline from a 2024 poll suggested that many working renters were struggling to keep up with housing costs. That survey is now several years old. The latest English Housing Survey offers a more recent, government-produced snapshot of how households say they are managing rent and mortgage payments.
In 2024–25, 32% of private renters in England said they found it either fairly or very difficult to afford their rent. Across renters as a whole, the figure was 30%; among social renters it was 26%. The survey also reported that the share of private renters finding rent difficult had risen from 27% in 2019–20 to 32% in 2024–25.
Difficulty paying is not the same as being in arrears. A household may describe rent as difficult to manage while still paying on time. In the same survey year, 2% of private renters said they were currently in arrears and a further 3% said they had fallen behind during the previous 12 months. That combined measure is 5%, and should not be confused with the larger share who reported difficulty affording rent.
The survey found a different pattern for mortgage holders. In 2024–25, 14% of mortgagors said paying their mortgage was fairly or very difficult, while around 0.6% reported mortgage arrears. These figures use different questions and populations from the rent measures, so they are useful context rather than a like-for-like comparison of individual households.
What can landlords, agents and renters take from this? The results point to continuing pressure for a substantial minority of private renters, but they do not say that every renter is struggling or explain the circumstances of each household. The survey records respondents’ views at a particular time; it is not a rent forecast, a measure of affordability in every local market, or an assessment of any one tenancy. Local incomes, household size, benefit support and housing costs can all shape a household’s experience.
The English Housing Survey is an annual survey of households in England. Its 2024–25 findings are a national snapshot, not a current-month reading. Readers comparing years should also check the question wording, sample and published tables, rather than treating a poll headline and an official survey measure as interchangeable.
This archive article keeps its original publication date while updating the discussion with the 2024–25 survey results. It is general information, not personal financial advice.