Presentation from Independent Age about the barriers faced by older private renters, presented at our DFG Champions Roadshow Spring 2018

1. Independent Age
Unsuitable, insecure and substandard
homes: The barriers faced
by older private renters
7 June 2018
Amelia Christie
amelia.christie@independentage.org

2. Independent Age: Who we are
2
Our mission:
To enable older
people to stay
independent and
live well with
dignity, choice
and control.
A growing
older people’s
charity

3. Who we help
3
We focus our
support on older
people in greatest
need - usually the
generation that
lived through the
Second World War
- and their families
and carers.

4. What makes us different?
4
We're independent, so
older people can be.
Our information and
advice is completely
impartial - we don’t sell
or recommend products -
and our campaigning is
fiercely independent.

5. What we do
5
Making a measureable difference
to the lives of older people.
Information
and advice
Regular social
contact
Policy and
campaigning

6. Why did we look at this?
• Older people are assumed to be
homeowners and the implications of
this on policy discussions and practice.
• Discussions of the perils of renting
privately focus almost exclusively on
younger people.
6

7. What did we do?
ILC-UK analysis of the English
Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA)
data collected in 2014/15. This is a
nationally representative survey of people
aged 50+ in private households across
England.
Drew on the English Housing Survey
(EHS) over the same time period and the
Labour Force Survey between 1996 and
2016.
We carried out eight in-depth interviews
with older private renters who were
identified through our helpline.
Literature review.
7

8. What did we find out?
Half a million older people live in privately
rented properties making up almost 1 in
10 of all households renting in the private
sector
Renting privately is particularly common
among older people in rural areas: One
third rent privately compared to 1 in 7
living in social housing
Older pensioners are more likely to be
lifetime renters: 20% of people over 85
have never owned a home compared to
10% of 65-74 year olds
8

9. Renting privately is increasing

10. We found some particular vulnerabilities
• Older private renters are 2.5
times more likely to report
feelings of extreme loneliness
compared with homeowners
• Nearly three quarters (73.5%) of
older renters (both social and
private) have a disability or
chronic illness
• They’re more likely to move, and
less likely to move into to more
suitable accommodation
• Nearly 1 in 3 (32%) of private
renters felt their accommodation
was unsuitable
10

11. Suitability of homes
11
As many as 4 in 10 older
private renters live in non-
decent housing.
Biggest problems identified by
older private tenants were:
1. Home too cold in the
winter
2. Rising damp
3. Lack of space
“I’ve got two floorboards
in my bedroom and I can
feel them going through,
but I daren’t tell them
before I get the toilet in as
they are liable to have a
fit.”

13. Adaptations
13
Over a third of
people aged
75+ who
required an
adaptation to
their home
didn’t have it

14. Who pays for adaptations

15. Discussion points
15
How can we enhance the
delivery of adaptations in the
private rented sector?
Obstacle of the landlord – how
do we make adaptations
attractive to landlords?
How do we increase awareness?
General public don’t know.
People don’t understand that one
adaptation in the past doesn’t
disqualify them from another
Timetable for adaptations – how
do we shorten them?