How we’ll amplify the voices of older renters

As the Renters Reform Bill gets its first reading in Parliament, Policy Manager Chit Selvarajah explores the role Independent Age will play to ensure older renters get the protection they need

An Englishman’s home is his castle as the saying goes, but for a lot of renters, including those in later life, the experience can be less than dignified. But hope is on the horizon as the recently introduced Renters Reform Bill starts its journey through the Westminster Parliament and, we hope, addresses some of the long standing issues faced by older private renters.

At Independent Age we believe that all older people should be able to live in safe, secure and suitable housing. But unfortunately many people in later life live in poor quality, insecure and unaffordable housing. And these problems make life even harder for those facing financial hardship.

Over the last decade we’ve seen things change in England. While many older people own their own homes, there is a growing proportion who are renting privately. Between 2009–10 and 2020–21 the number of privately renting households in England with someone living in them aged 65 or over increased from 258,000 to 403,000 — an increase of 56%. As this group grows we need to better understand what it’s like to rent in later life if you live on a low income.

We will be fighting to secure improvements to housing for older people at both the UK Government level and the Scottish Government level as this is a devolved issue. But we focus here on what we want to see from the UK Government.

Renting in later life can be precarious

Renting in late life can be full of challenges, regardless of what type of home you live in. But our research into poverty in later life found that 1 in 4 older private renters in the UK are in long term poverty meaning that they have experienced poverty for seven to nine years.

Things have got even harder with the rising cost of living. Currently the average rent outside of London is roughly £270.46 a week but the full new State Pension amount is only £203.85. Even allowing for Housing Benefit, which not all older private renters are eligible for, many older people are likely to be facing significant shortfalls that they have to pay to make rent.

“Over the time, [the rent] has increased and it’s a lot of money….I do get Housing Benefit, which pays for quite a lot of it and it leaves me about between £200 to £300 out of my pension to pay the rest. I get Housing Benefit but I still have to pay. My pension is, I think, it’s about £174 a week, and so it takes up quite a lot.”
Toni, 67, Surrey

Another concern is security of tenure. We’re starting to hear how older renters are becoming fearful that they might be evicted without cause as current laws enable landlords to evict tenants even if they’re up-to-date with the rent and look after their home. This problem is commonly called ‘no fault evictions’ and are caused by Section 21 of the Housing Act 1988.

Bringing affordability and dignity back to renting

Older renters should have a home that is affordable, decent and gives them the ability to remain connected to their community. A decent, affordable home should be the foundation of a good retirement but the broken housing system has meant that this is not available to everyone in later life.

“With the national pension…it goes up, but it doesn’t cover the increase in the rates or the rent. If the pension covered that, you’d be happy but they don’t correspond…it’s a constant watch, if you know what I mean.”
Daniel, age 70–80

Housing problems can sometimes feel too complicated to solve but practical solutions do exist. If we want a good home for all, there are a few things we need:

1. Housing benefits to actually cover the cost of renting privately. Currently the amount of housing benefit you get as a private renter is capped by the UK Government and this cap hasn’t been updated since 2020. Restoring the link between local private rents and the local housing allowance (as it’s known) can go a long way to making private rented homes affordable for those older people in financial hardship.
2. To level the playing field for older renters. The long-awaited Renters Reform Bill has the potential to improve things significantly in England and Wales, especially by ending Section 21 — the law behind ‘no fault’ evictions that creates so much fear among older renters. The Bill would also introduce greater powers for councils to deal with rogue landlords, require rented homes to meet higher standards of safety and warmth, and stop discrimination against tenants who claim benefits. We need to see it made law and put into action as soon as possible.
3. To see significant and sustained investment in building new council and housing association homes. In the past social housing was the safety net for older people who didn’t own their own homes. But now, demand far exceeds supply, forcing older renters into the private rented sector. We need a UK government commitment to build many more social homes to restore this safety net.
4. To make the private rented sector more affordable. Investing in social housing is critical but many older tenants won’t be around to see the fruits of this investment. That’s why we need every option on the table to help moderate rents including looking at local rent controls to cap increases to rents within a tenancy period. Rent controls are unlikely to be a silver bullet but they can moderate rents without penalising those on housing benefits. Therefore, we should give communities the power to set rent controls in their area if they need to.

“Private landlords charge too much for their flats. This is why I think rent is too high in every case, it’s just too high. That’s what I would change if I could.”
Lloyd, 82, London

Watch out for more

We know that fixing Britain’s broken housing system means committing to change over the long haul, but at Independent Age we’re ready to play our part.

The new Renters Reform Bill is a big opportunity, and over the coming months we will work with other charities and tenants groups in the Renters Reform Coalition to ensure we get the protections older renters facing financial hardship desperately need.

We also hope to share some new insight into the experiences of older renters with a new report later this year that can inform new policies and practice.

And we’ll also see how we can improve older renters experiences in Scotland as new laws emerge there.

I’m optimistic about the change we can deliver, I hope you’ll stick with us to find out what we’re doing next and support our activity

If you have experienced problems with renting in later life and want to share your story please contact: campaigns@independentage.org

And if you want to learn more about how help with rent or other issues with your home please look have a look at our free information and advice resources on housing or contact our free helpline on 0800 319 6789.