24th May 2026
The number of children living in the private rented sector (PRS) has almost tripled over the last quarter century, from 1.1 million children in 2000-01 to 3.2 million in 2024-25. As a result, children are now more likely than working-age adults to live in the PRS (23 per cent compared to 22 per cent) as it increasingly becomes a permanent tenure for many young families, the Resolution Foundation said on Saturday 23 May 2026.
Britain’s private rented sector (PRS) has more than doubled in size since the turn of the century. 12.9 million people (in 5.1 million households) now call it home, compared to 5.1 million people (in 2.5 million households) in 2000-01, meaning that a fifth of the population now live in the tenure that performs worst in terms of affordability, security and quality.
As the number of private renters has changed, so too have the characteristics of tenants. Although those in their 20s are still the most likely age group to be private tenants (37 per cent in 2024-25), the biggest increase in private renting has been among those in their 30s. The share of thirtysomethings in this tenure has almost trebled since the turn of the century – from 10 to 28 per cent.
Nonetheless, many have not let the tenure hold them back from starting a family, with over a quarter of under-1s now living in the private rented sector (27 per cent). But as more young families call the PRS their home, the security and quality of available rentals is thrown into ever-starker relief.
One-in-ten private rented homes in England have damp (10 per cent) – compared to just one-in-twenty-five homes occupied by mortgagors (4 per cent) – and less than half (49 per cent) are energy efficient, adversely affecting the living standards of tenants and increasing their health risk too.
Added to this, one-in-six (16 per cent) private renters reported that their housing situation was not secure enough for them to make long-term decisions. But some groups experienced housing insecurity even more acutely, with almost one-quarter (24 per cent) of single-parent families and 22 per cent of people with disabilities saying the same.
This lack of security for young families in particular shows why the rights enshrined in the Renter’s Rights Act 2025, which came into effect on 1 May, are needed, says the Foundation.
The Act has banned Section 21 (no fault) evictions and, subject to consultation, will require homes to be energy efficient by 2030 and meet a new Decent Homes standard in the next decade. Improving the energy efficiency of the private rented sector may be costly for some landlords, but will also increase the value of their portfolio.
But, although it is a welcome milestone, the Act will do little to address affordability and the resulting impact on living standards. On average, private renters in the UK spend 35 per cent of their income on housing costs, above the 30 per cent threshold generally considered affordable.
The issue of costs is especially acute for lower-income private renters who receive help with rent from the benefit system. The rate of Local Housing Allowance (LHA) support available has been frozen since April 2024. As a result the gap between the value of LHA and the cost of renting is set to reach a record level later this year, warns the Foundation.
Hannah Aldridge, Senior Research and Policy Analyst at the Resolution Foundation, said:
“For a growing number of people, the private rented sector is less a pitstop on the way to home ownership or a social tenancy, and more a permanent home. Children are now more likely to live in private rented homes than working-age adults, and the number of private renters in their 30s has soared as young families are priced out of homeownership.
“Yet private rented accommodation is more likely to be damp and energy inefficient than other tenures, and many vulnerable private renters report feeling so insecure in their homes they are unable to make long-term decisions. The Renter’s Rights Act will alleviate some of these concerns by setting minimum property standards and offering more security for the one-fifth of Britons who rent privately.
“But renting from a private landlord continues to be the least affordable tenure, pushing down households’ living standards. The problem is especially acute for lower-income families who receive Universal Credit, with the shortfall between the support they can get and actual rent levels on course to reach record levels later this year. The Government needs to re-link housing support to local rents before the gap does further damage to living standards.”
Read the full Resolution Foundation report Housing Outlook Q2 2026 HERE