"We can see that year on year, across the board, there has been a significant downturn in the number of bungalows available to rent, which are crucial in the adaptation for those with disabilities and older renters."
- Nathan Emerson - Propertymark
Propertymark has highlighted growing concerns over the decreasing availability of bungalows, which disproportionately affects older and disabled tenants.
Research from the National Housing Federation shows that nearly 867,000 households headed by people aged 55 or over now rent privately. Since 2010/11, the number of private rented households aged 55+ has grown by 70%. Nearly half of private renters aged 65 or older fall into the bottom 20% of household incomes.
Propertymark’s industry-wide research reveals that across the UK, privately rented bungalows have declined by almost 5% year on year. From April 2024 to April 2025, there were 19,161 bungalows available to rent, compared with 20,138 in the previous year—a drop of nearly 1,000 homes.
Regionally, the shortage is more pronounced in some areas. In April 2025, the West Midlands had 110 bungalows available to rent, Scotland 66, and Northern Ireland 35. These figures contrast with higher availability in regions like the East of England, which had 298 available, and the South East, with 284.
The decline affects renters’ flexibility, especially retirees wishing to relocate. Coastal areas in the South West, such as Cornwall and Devon, popular with retirees, have fewer accessible homes entering the market. Between January and April 2025, Cornwall listed only 114 bungalows in the private rented sector. In comparison, Nottingham in the East Midlands had 164 available despite a smaller population.
“The concern surrounding the lack of available homes to rent in comparison to growing demand from tenants is long-standing and especially affects renters on a lower income, the older population and those with disabilities," comments Propertymark CEO, Nathan Emerson. “We can see that year on year, across the board, there has been a significant downturn in the number of bungalows available to rent, which are crucial in the adaptation for those with disabilities and older renters.
He added, “The private rented sector plays an important role in housing the nation and without a significant increase in the number of homes of all types to rent, rent levels will remain higher and, in turn, put financial pressure on those it is designed to help.
“We urgently need the attention of all Governments to ensure planning policy and housing strategies recognise housing needs across the country and older people, whether renting or right-sizing, can access suitable housing.”
