One in eight Britons aged 35 to 54 are still renting, according to new research.

This raises fresh concerns that home ownership is no longer a realistic milestone even by mid-life.

The findings, from a nationwide survey commissioned byThe Bespoke Sign House, suggest the UK housing crisis has moved beyond first-time buyers and is now reshaping expectations for an entire generation who assumed they would own by now.

While younger adults are often seen as the face of the housing affordability crisis, the data shows renting is no longer a short-term phase.

Instead, it is increasingly extending well into mid-life, signalling a shift from delayed ownership to permanent uncertainty.

The study also revealed that more than a quarter of Britons (26%) now fear they will never own a home at all though over 70% of adults aged 18–34 still say they want to buy a home within the next five years.

Affordability remains the defining barrier.

More than half of respondents (53%) say house prices are the single biggest obstacle to buying, while a third (33%) say the cost of living is actively preventing them from saving.

A further 25% believe they simply do not earn enough to qualify for a mortgage.

Taken together, the findings suggest the housing ladder is no longer just broken at the bottom, but increasingly out of reach further up.

What was once a temporary stage in adult life is becoming a long-term position for many who expected to have moved on by now.

Kristian Goodenough, Co-Founder of The Bespoke Sign House, says: “Renting was once seen as a stepping stone, but for many people it’s becoming the destination.

“What this research shows is that the housing crisis isn’t just delaying ownership, it’s changing expectations altogether. People in their forties and fifties didn’t plan to still be renting, but affordability has left many with few alternatives.”

Many still want to buy, but an increasing number doubt it will ever happen, particularly as rising costs continue to outpace incomes.

Among non-owners, optimism and resignation now sit side by side.

The findings underline growing pressure on policymakers and lenders as a generation eager to buy finds ownership increasingly out of reach.

Beyond affordability, the UK Home & Kerb Appeal Trends 2026  report also explores how buyer psychology, first impressions and emotional cues continue to shape housing decisions.