Affordability and instability of tenure within the private sector are not limited to young adults struggling to get on the housing ladder but spans across age groups. Although the majority of older adults are owner occupiers, the overall number and proportion of older private renters increased from 238,000 in 2007-08 to 380,000 in 2017-18. This trend is likely to continue in the future.
Older adults in the private rented sector are more likely to be in poor housing than older adults in other tenures and are more likely to need to make changes to their homes in order to make them safe and accessible.
The Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) provides financial assistance to cover the cost of home adaptations for lower income disabled people, but DFG is only given to private rented tenants who intend to stay in a property for five or more years, which prevents many people who need adaptations from getting them. Longer term tenancies would help to provide the security needed for people in later life who are living in the private rented sector.
