The number of children living in the private rented sector (PRS) has almost tripled over the last quarter century, from 1.1m in 2000-01 to 3.2m in 2024-25. 

As a result, children are now more likely than working-age adults to live in the PRS (23% compared to 22%) as it increasingly becomes a permanent tenure for many young families.

So says the Resolution Foundation think tank, which calculates that Britain’s PRS has more than doubled in size since the turn of the century. 

As the number of private renters has changed, so too have the characteristics of tenants. 

Although those in their 20s are still the most likely age group to be private tenants (37%in 2024-25), the biggest increase in private renting has been among those in their 30s. 

The share of thirtysomethings in this tenure has almost trebled since the turn of the century – from 10% to 28%.

Nonetheless, many have not let the tenure hold them back from starting a family, with over a quarter of under-1s now living in the private rented sector (27%). 

But as more young families call the PRS their home, the security and quality of available rentals is thrown into ever-starker relief.

The foundation claims that one-in-10 private rented homes in England have damp compared to just one-in-25 homes occupied by mortgagors.

Added to this, 16% of private renters reported that their housing situation was not secure enough for them to make long-term decisions. B

Hannah Aldridge, Senior Research and Policy Analyst at the Resolution Foundation, says: “For a growing number of people, the private rented sector is less a pitstop on the way to home ownership or a social tenancy, and more a permanent home. 

“Children are now more likely to live in private rented homes than working-age adults, and the number of private renters in their 30s has soared as young families are priced out of homeownership.

“Yet private rented accommodation is more likely to be damp and energy inefficient than other tenures, and many vulnerable private renters report feeling so insecure in their homes they are unable to make long-term decisions. 

“The Renters Rights Act will alleviate some of these concerns by setting minimum property standards and offering more security for the one-fifth of Britons who rent privately.

“But renting from a private landlord continues to be the least affordable tenure, pushing down households’ living standards. The problem is especially acute for lower-income families who receive Universal Credit, with the shortfall between the support they can get and actual rent levels on course to reach record levels later this year.”