English Housing Survey
The English Housing Survey (EHS) is a continuous national survey of housing in England, run by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG). It collects information on people's housing circumstances and on the condition and energy efficiency of the housing stock, and its findings are published as accredited official statistics. The survey has run in its current form since 2008, when it merged two earlier studies, the Survey of English Housing and the English House Condition Survey, into a single annual programme.
What the English Housing Survey covers
The EHS is one of the broadest pictures of housing in England. It reports on all three tenures, and the 2024-25 survey put owner occupation at 65% of households, the private rented sector at 19% and the social rented sector at 16%. Beyond who lives where, it measures the physical condition of homes, including how many fail the Decent Homes Standard, energy efficiency and heating, overcrowding and under-occupation, housing costs and affordability, and household demographics and satisfaction. Because it samples the stock itself, it is the standard reference for questions about the quality and safety of English homes, not just their price.
How the survey works
The EHS has two parts: a household interview survey, where occupants answer questions about their circumstances, and a physical survey, where a trained surveyor inspects a sub-sample of dwellings to assess their condition and energy performance. Each year the initial results appear in a headline report early in the year, followed by a series of more detailed topic reports over the spring and summer. Alongside the reports, MHCLG publishes the English Housing Survey live tables, a collection of time-series data that lets users track housing trends over many years. The most recent round at the time of writing is the English Housing Survey 2024-25.
Why it matters to landlords
For landlords, the EHS is the authoritative national picture of the private rented sector. It is the source most often cited for the size of the sector, the condition and decency of rented homes, their energy efficiency, the profile of private renters, and what tenants pay relative to their income. That evidence base shapes policy directly. The data behind the Renters' Rights Act 2025, the extension of the Decent Homes Standard to the private rented sector, and proposed energy efficiency standards all draw on EHS findings. When a landlord, journalist or trade body needs a robust figure for the rented sector rather than a campaigning statistic, the English Housing Survey is usually the source they reach for.
English Housing Survey versus English Private Landlord Survey
The two are easily confused but measure different things. The English Housing Survey samples households and dwellings, so it describes the housing stock and the people living in it across every tenure. The English Private Landlord Survey samples landlords and letting agents, so it describes the supply side: who owns rented property, how large their portfolios are, and how they manage them. Both are run by MHCLG, and they are designed to complement each other, with the EHS covering demand and stock and the EPLS covering the people who provide it.
Frequently asked questions
Who runs the English Housing Survey?
It is run by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, the UK government department responsible for housing in England, and its results are published as accredited official statistics.
How often is the English Housing Survey published?
Every year. Initial headline findings are released early in the year, followed by more detailed topic reports over the spring and summer, supported by live data tables that are updated annually.
What is the difference between the English Housing Survey and the English Private Landlord Survey?
The English Housing Survey looks at households and the condition of homes across all tenures, while the English Private Landlord Survey looks at landlords and letting agents. One measures the housing and the people in it; the other measures the people who provide rented housing.
