Housing challenges are faced by people of all ages, but the stories of older people on a low income who are renting are often hidden and rarely part of the conversation.
Yet a growing number of older people are renting privately, and it is essential that the private rented sector in England delivers for them too.
We want to amplify the voices of this hidden group, from their concerns about affording rent to their fears around the security and quality of their home. We make policy recommendations to help meet the needs of this growing group of older private renters.
Older renters' experiences
What needs to change: Affordability
Affordability is a big concern for many older private renters. Paying ever-rising rents is a constant worry, because many fear they will have to move to find a cheaper rent. For many older renters, paying their rent is driving them further into financial hardship.
Our report provides evidence that there is a significant number of older renters who have experienced a rent rise in the past 12 months and who say they cannot comfortably afford their rent. They are also having to cut back on other essentials, such as food and energy, because of their rent rising.
In interviews we did for our report, many people talked about the significant financial pressures they have experienced in the past year, including the limitations of relying mainly on their State Pension and/or their limited savings. Our research also highlights the struggles of older renters who receive Housing Benefit – around half of all older renters – demonstrating the need for increases to Housing Benefit.
- Relative income poverty among older renters is 37% after housing costs – compared with 13% among older homeowners.
- More than 1 in 5 older renters said they cannot comfortably afford their rent.
- Almost half of older women who are privately renting are left with £399 or less each month after paying their rent.
What needs to change: Security
The desire to make a property a long-term home is often a priority for older renters, but because they can be evicted at any time makes them feel insecure, creates concerns about the impact of moving and means many are anxious.
Many older people are forced to move out of their homes before they want to. This is especially likely in the private rented sector because there is very little protection for renters from no-fault evictions – where the landlord evicts a tenant even if they follow all the tenancy rules.
The thought of moving home causes older renters significant anxiety – from the practicalities of moving to barriers when looking for a new home. But many older renters on a low income have no choice but to move into unsuitable or unaffordable homes.
- The number of people aged 65 or over assessed to be threatened with homelessness or who were homeless increased to 10,140, an increase from 8,440 in 2018/19.
- Around a quarter of all older renters were concerned about the possibility of their landlord asking them to move out unexpectedly sometime in the next 12 months.
- Almost 3 in 4 private renters aged 65 or over in England said they would find it difficult to find an alternative property if they had to move house.
What needs to change: Quality
The importance of safe and comfortable homes for older people cannot be overstated but many live in unsafe and poor-quality homes that threaten their health.
A good home is fundamental to older people maintaining their health, sense of community and independence. However, this is not the experience of many older people on a low income who rent, with some living in homes that are cold, leaking, in severe disrepair or with black mould.
Many renters we spoke to were hesitant to report problems with their home in case this led to higher rents, eviction or other problems with their landlord. Though we know this is not a ubiquitous experience, the power imbalance between older people who are renting and their landlord results in older private renters tolerating living standards that can be detrimental to their mental and physical health.
- More than 1 in 5 private renters aged 65 or over in England felt uncomfortable raising concerns with their landlords.
- Over a third of renters aged 75 or over live in a non-decent home.
Key Statistics
25% of older private renters experience long-term poverty – that is, poverty for seven to nine years in a nine-year period.
37% of older private renters experience relative income poverty after housing costs.
45% of all older people who rent have experienced a rent rise in the past 12 months.
Almost 6% of people aged 65–74 are in rent arrears – more than any other age group.
70% of private renters aged 65 or over in England say they would find it difficult to find an alternative property if they had to move houses.
More than 1 in 5 private renters aged 65 or over in England felt uncomfortable raising concerns with their landlord.
Recommendations
Independent Age wants the UK Government to commit to:
Have you been affected?
If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this report, call our Helpline on 0800 319 6789 to arrange to speak to one of our expert advisers. We also have a range of housing information online, which is completely free and impartial.
The experiences of older renters living on a low income are so meaningful in helping organisations like ours to make change happen. It means our discussions with MPs, ministers and other decision makers are shaped by the latest evidence around the issues older renters can face and what solutions could help.
If you would like to share your renting story with us, email our campaigns team, who are here to listen sensitively and without judgement. We won’t ever share your story without your permission or ask you to do anything you’re not comfortable with.
Want to know more?
Read our full report to learn more about the challenges and experiences of older renters in England. The study exposes issues regarding the affordability of their rents, security of the tenure and the quality of older renters’ homes.
You might also be interested in:
> Our work on housing
> Our report The hidden two million: the reality of financial hardship in later life
> Our report “Not enough to live on”: pensioner poverty in Scotland
Rob's story
"I’ve had my State Pension for just under a year, but I wouldn’t be able to survive on it alone. I have to work. The rent here is £675/month, the council tax is £104/month, and the water is paid for, but I have to pay for the electric. I’m frugal – I’ll do a batch of cooking, and keep the lights off – and when the winter comes I don’t plan on turning on the heating."
Rajia's story
"I have to do all the cooking in the front room now, because the kitchen is unusable: there are holes in the floor so big my foot goes straight though. The roof leaks, the walls are full of mould, there are so many rats they keep me awake at night. We’ve always paid our rent on time, but it’s not safe for us to stay here… The only thing we want is to live somewhere clean and die in peace."
Michael's story
"I’m living in my friend's house, but he needs me to move out... I really don’t know what I’m going to do... When I’m trying to rent somewhere I think people do look at you and put you to the back of the queue. I spoke to a letting agent, and I told her I'm on Pension Credit and I'm not employed, and she said, ‘there’s 40 to 50 applicants for every one of these one-bedroom flats that come up. I'll be honest with you, unless you are showing £2,500 a month, every month, you haven’t got a prayer.’"