The latest English Housing Survey, just released, provides more evidence of the private rental sector being a happier place than many believe. 

The data, published today by the government, relates to 2024-25 and therefore covers the period up to a full year before the Renters Rights Act kicked in.

Results show two-thirds of private renters (66%) satisfied with their tenure. 

This is slightly lower than the 70% of private renters who were satisfied five years ago, but is a high figure given the substantial publicity to tenant rights promoted at the time.

The proportion of private renters neither satisfied nor dissatisfied with their tenure in the most recent data was 15%, and the proportion dissatisfied with their tenure was 19%.

Here’s a summary of the survey’s findings.

A minority of tenants dissatisfied

Private renters aged 45-64 were more likely to be dissatisfied with their tenure (23%) than private renters aged 65 or over (14%) and those aged 16 to 29 (17%).

Private renters from a white ethnic background were more dissatisfied (20%) with their tenure than those from ethnic minority backgrounds (16%).

Households containing someone with a long-term illness or disability were also more likely to be dissatisfied with their tenure (27%) than those not containing a household member with a long-term illness or disability (15%).

Private renters receiving housing support were more dissatisfied with their tenure (26%), than those not receiving housing support (17%).

Private renters who were in converted/used-as-shared accommodation (i.e. shared kitchen and/or bathroom/WC, often with non‑self‑contained bedsits or flatlets occupied by two or more households) were more dissatisfied with their tenure (40%) than those living with family (20%) or sharing with other tenants (12%).

Dissatisfaction with tenure did not significantly vary by region (London compared with the rest of England, for example) and not did it vary significantly by gender, employment status, income or presence of dependent children.

Why tenants move

Among private renters who moved from one private rented tenancy to another, the most common reason for moving was wanting a larger property (24%).

This was followed by job-related reasons (23%), while smaller proportions moved to live with friends or relatives (10%), because they wanted a cheaper home (9%), or because their previous accommodation was in poor condition (9%). 

Other renters moved to be closer to friends or relatives (8%), for other family or personal reasons (8%), or because their previous home was unsuitable (7%). L

Less than 5% chose to move due to not getting on with their landlord, being unable to afford mortgage payments or rent, or wanting a smaller home. 

More tenants moved within the private rented sector for personal reasons, including because they wanted to move to a better neighbourhood (20%) or to live closer to friends or relatives (8%), than for landlord‑related reasons, including being asked to leave by the landlord (13%) or because they didn’t get on with their landlord (4%). 

Fewer moved because they wanted to live independently (5%) than because they were asked to leave by their landlord (13%).

Private renters who moved to become owner occupiers most commonly did so because they wanted to buy a property (66%) or wanted to live independently (33%).

Private renters whose tenancies ended in the last 12 months were asked the reason why it ended. Respondents could select more than one option.

Evictions 

In 2024-25, the majority of private renters (63%) said their tenancy ended because they wanted to move, while 17% said the tenancy was agreed for a fixed period, and 14% said they were asked to leave by their landlord/agent. 

Some 12% ended the tenancy by mutual agreement, 3% left because of rent increases imposed by the landlord, 2% ended their tenancy because of their poor relationship with the landlord and 1% said their accommodation was tied to their job and their job ended.

The government says this list of reasons private renters gave for ending their tenancy was similar in 2024-25 to 2023-24. 

When compared to the reasons for ending the tenancy given at the start of the pandemic in 2019-20 (compared to 2024-25), more private renters said they wanted to move in 2019-20 (76% vs. 63%), fewer private renters said they were asked to leave by their landlord or agent (8% vs. 14%) and fewer ended their tenancy because it was agreed for a fixed period (9% vs. 17%).

Notice periods

All private renters were asked about the length of their notice period, defined as the amount of time a landlord must give the tenant to move out when seeking to end the tenancy. 

The most reported notice period was 2 months (53%), while having no notice period (8%) was the least common.

Private renters were then asked whether the notice period in their tenancy agreement gives them enough time to move or would make it difficult for them to find a new place. 

The government says: “Overall, between 2023 and 2025, the largest proportion of private renters (43%) said their notice period gave them enough time to move, 40% thought it would possibly be too little time for them to find a new place, and 18% said it would be impossible to find a new place to live in that time.

“Private renters tended to think their current notice-period agreement would give them enough time to move on, regardless of whether they did not have a formal notice period in their tenancy agreement (75% felt it was enough) or had more than two months’ notice (57% felt it was enough). Only 13% of private renters with no formal notice and 11% of private renters with more than two months’ notice period thought it would be impossible for them to find a new place to live in this time.”

S21 or S8

Of private renters whose tenancy ended in the last three years, almost half (45%) said their landlord or agent asked them to leave by issuing a Section 21 notice, 37% said they were asked to leave informally and 19% said their landlord or agent used another method to ask them to leave, including the existing Section 8 grounds.

More than half (57%) of private renters whose tenancy ended in the last three years said their landlord asked them to leave because they wanted to sell the property or use it themselves. 

A further 38% said their landlord gave some other reason and 4% said the landlord asked them to leave because they complained to them or the council or agent about problems with the property.

Rent in advance in addition to deposit

Well over half a million private rented households (626,000) paid rent in advance in addition to the deposit in 2024-25. 

The majority (70%) paid one month of rent or less, while a further 18% paid more than one month and up to two months. 

Smaller proportions paid higher amounts in advance, with 3% paying more than three and up to four months, and 8% paying more than four months.

Just over one in five private renters (22%) were asked to provide a guarantor for the rent payments before moving into the accommodation,

Complaints and satisfaction

Half of private renters who made a complaint were unhappy with the outcome (50%). 

Satisfaction levels varied by the reason for the complaint. The majority of private renters were unhappy with the response they got to their complaints about administration issues such as the renewal of the tenancy agreement (76%), about the behaviour of the landlord (65%), antisocial behaviour in the area (64%), the quality of their home (60%) or other issues (58%). 

Fewer than half of private renters were unhappy about the response to complaints they made about their neighbours (47%) or repairs (46%).

Most private renters who raised a complaint with their landlord or letting agent and were not happy with the response, did not take their complaint any further.

Some 94% did not contact any other organisation. 

Among the small number who did escalate a complaint after being unhappy with the response from their landlord or letting agent, most went to the Local Council’s Environmental Health Officer (4%), followed by the Tenancy Relations Officer (2%), and what the government calls “an exceedingly small proportion” contacted the Property Ombudsman or the Property Redress Scheme (less than 1%).

Reasons for not making a complaint

Some of the most common reasons private renters who considered making a complaint gave for not complaining were that they did not want to cause a problem with their landlord or agent (40%), they did not believe something would be done if they complained (35%) or that complaining would be too much of a hassle and take too much time (31 %). 

Other reasons included concerns about retaliation by the landlord (23%), feeling that the issue was not important enough to raise (18%), or worries that their tenancy would not be renewed (14%). 

Some renters wanted to remain in their current home (12%), felt they could not afford to move elsewhere (9%), or did not want to damage their relationship with neighbours (6%).