The National Housing Federation is the latest group to urge the creation of longer private rental sector tenancies as the norm rather than the exception.
NHF research shows private renters are now nine times more likely to have moved in the past year than homeowners and reveals that more than one in four private renters feel they cannot put down roots because they might have to move again soon - rising to almost a third amongst renters with children in the household.
The NHF claims that the apparent lack of stability that comes with renting is met with the added frustration that most tenants did not anticipate they would still be living as a renter at this point in their life.
Almost two thirds of private renters aged 25 to 44 said they thought they would have bought their own home by now. Of all private renters, some 56 per cent say that they have rented for longer than planned because they have no alternative.
Previous research found that 70 per cent of private renters in England say that they would prefer to own their own home.
The National Housing Federation highlights that rising house prices and stagnant wages have left renting from a private landlord the only option for many people.
There are now almost nine million private renters in England, a figure that has increased at the same time as home ownership has been falling for the first time in decades.
Over four million households rent from a private landlord and the Federation claims that with typical tenancies being12 months long, this often leads to worry about when the next move will have to take place and if children will have to be uprooted from their friends or schools.
With house prices continuing to soar out of reach, and typical deposits for first time buyers hitting £30,000, younger generations are seeing their dream of home-ownership replaced with a life of renting says David Orr, NHF chief executive.
It's clear that the younger generation is being let down, and given no alternative but to move from one short-term let to the next, never being able to save enough to buy because their wages are eaten up by rent he claims.
The NHF says its survey has revealed that 77 per cent of people in England do not believe any of the main political parties will effectively deal with housing if they were in power.
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Comments
GB - well said indeed. As IO said, the NHF want to focus on something more productive than trying to meddle with an industry which works perfectly well as it is.
Is it just me or has 2014 been the year of the "meddling politicians and associations in the PRS"
If tenants pay the rent on time and look after the property they have nothing to worry about. I have two tenants who have been in my properties for more than 5 years. Both were originally 6 month AST's and are now periodic tenancies. Both can stay as long as they want or they have the option to give me 1 months notice should they choose to do so.
No landlord wants the expense of eviction and void periods!
IO you have hit the nail squarely on the head.
Perhaps the NHF might be better employed concentrating on getting builders to create more affordable housing
I am sick of reading about this cr*p about extending default tenancy lengths!
We manage (creeping up to) 1000 properties and 96% of all notices served in 2014 were from TENANTS - and NOT the Landlord! The Tenants were on AST 6 month contracts.
When will these bloody do-gooders just back off from a PRS that works as it is