Older renters are struggling to find suitable homes, says Propertymark – Mortgage Strategy
Disabled and elderly tenants face increasing challenges in finding suitable accommodation, according to Propertymark.
A professional body of estate and lettings agents has warned that the supply of bungalows and retirement homes is failing to keep pace with the rapid growth of older homes across the UK, putting more pressure on elderly tenants, disabled tenants and those looking to downsize later in life.
Around 867,000 households headed by someone aged 55 and over now live in England’s rented sector, says Propertymark, with demand for suitable housing expected to increase significantly as the population grows over the next decade.
Households headed by someone aged 65 or older are expected to grow by 22.1% in 2032, while the number of households aged 65-74 is expected to grow from 3.3 million in 2022 to more than 4 million in 2032.
Meanwhile, households headed by someone aged 85 or older are expected to increase by 42.3%, from 1.1 million to 1.5 million over the same period.
Despite this growing demand, Propertymark’s industry-wide survey found that the supply of privately rented bungalows and retirement properties across the UK has continued to decline year-on-year.
In 2024, there were 17,225 bungalows and retirement homes for rent, down 0.8% to 17,083 in 2025. This follows an overall decline of 4.2% from 2023, when the number stood at 17,827.
Regional analysis also revealed large disparities across the country, with some major cities seeing significant declines in availability while others experienced less growth.
Among the sharp falls:
- Nottingham saw the list drop from 538 places to 494
- Sheffield has dropped from 202 to 166 homes available
- Manchester dropped from 173 to 167 in the list
In contrast, several coastal and urban areas have recorded increases:
- Brighton has increased from 513 to 566 places available to rent
- Exeter rose from 417 to 446
- Newcastle rose from 277 to 310
- Inner London also rose modestly from 265 to 289
Propertymark says the shortage of suitable housing threatens mobility and independence for older tenants, particularly those living on fixed or low incomes, while also putting more pressure on the supply of spacious housing.
Propertymark chief executive Nathan Emerson said: “The private rented sector plays an important role in housing older people, yet the supply of suitable and affordable housing is not keeping pace with changing demographics.
“Although some areas have seen a slight improvement in the availability of bungalows and retirement properties, many large cities and communities continue to experience reduced supply at a time when the number of older homes is increasing rapidly.
“For many renters, especially those with mobility needs or living on a fixed income, affordable homes like bungalows are not what they want; they are important.
“Without significant investment in appropriate housing and planning processes that better reflect the needs of older people, many older tenants are at risk of facing reduced choice, affordability pressures and fewer opportunities to move later in life.”
