Housing Statistics for Scotland 2017: Key Trends Annual Summary: Stock by Tenure figuresas at March 2016 – update published on 2 October 2017
The stock by tenure section of the ‘Housing Statistics for Scotland 2017 Key Trends Summary’, published on 12thSeptember 2017, was based on March 2015 data instead of March 2016 data because one of the key data sources required to collate the figures, the Scottish Household Survey,had not yet been published for the year 2016.
This document provides an update to the stock by tenure section, using the latest Scottish Household Survey 2016datathat was published on 26th September 2017.
The rate of owner occupation as at March 2016ranged from 81% in East Renfrewshire to 44% in Dundee and Glasgow, with cities generally having lower owner occupation rates. The proportion of dwellings rented privately ranged from 6% in Midlothian to 26% in Edinburgh, with cities tending to have higher levels. Levels of social renting ranged from 11% in East Renfrewshire to 37% in West Dunbartonshire.
The number of dwellings in Scotland has increased by 597,000 (30%) over the last 35 years from 1.97 million in 1981 to 2.57 million in 2016. This has coincided with an increasing Scottish population and the increased prevalence of smaller households[1].
During this period there have been significant changes in housing tenure. In 1981, less than 40% of dwelling stock (0.72 million dwellings) was owner occupied. By 2000, the number had more than doubled to 1.47 million and accounted for 63% of dwelling stock.Since then the number of owner occupier dwellings rose more gently to 1.52 million in 2008, after which it fell slightly to 1.46 in 2013, before rising slightly to 1.48 million homes in 2016.
Two structural factors contributed to the shift toward owner occupation between 1981 and 2000: the introduction of the right to buy for public authority tenants in 1979 coupled with the decline of local authority new build, and the increased contribution of private sector house building.
Theproportionof households renting privately or living rent free has increased from 7% (around 171,000 dwellings) in 2002to 15% (around 394,000 dwellings) in 2016 (Chart 6). Factors contributing to this are likely to have included the increase in house prices in Scotland from 2002 to 2008, following which the economic downturnin 2008 created challenging lending conditions for potential home owners,such as the fall in high loan-to-value mortgage lending that was seen in the following years.
Local authority level tenure estimates are shown in Chart 7. The rate of owner occupation varies from 81% in East Renfrewshire to 44% in Dundee Glasgow. In general, cities have lower owner occupation rates. The proportion of dwellings rented privately ranges from 6% in Midlothian to 26% in Edinburgh, with cities tending to have higher levels. Levels of social renting range from 11% in East Renfrewshire to 37% in West Dunbartonshire.
Link to tenure tables:
The Scottish Household Survey website presents information on housing stock by tenure. Chapter 3 on Housing contains tables on tenure of household by year and by household age group:
Statistics on housing stock in the other UK nations can be found through the following link to the Department for Communities and Local Government website:
Link to Housing Statistics for Scotland 2016: Key Trends Summary publication (stock by tenure section based on SHS 2015):
Scottish Government Directorate for Housing and Social Justice
Communities Analysis Division, Housing Statistics Team
0131 244 7234
2 October 2017
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