England’s social housing sector has grown modestly over the past year, with nearly 38,000 more affordable homes added since 2024, according to new figures
from the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH).
The regulator’s annual statistics, published today, show that the sector now provides around 4.5 million homes across the country. Most of the growth came from increases in Affordable Rent and low-cost home ownership properties, while the number of traditional social rent homes fell slightly.
Affordable Rent homes rose by roughly 28,000, and low-cost home ownership options—such as shared ownership—grew by around 13,900. In contrast, social rent housing dropped by just over 4,100 homes overall.
Private housing associations, known as private registered providers, added a net gain of nearly 2,900 social rent homes, while local authorities saw a net loss of about 7,000, likely due to Right to Buy sales and other disposals.
Private providers were behind most of the new development, delivering 83% of all new Affordable Rent homes and 98% of new low-cost ownership properties.
Across England, 83% of all social housing is classed as general needs (covering both social and Affordable Rent), with 11% designated as supported housing and 6% as low-cost home ownership.
Energy efficiency continues to improve, with three-quarters (75%) of homes now rated EPC-C or above, up from 71% a year earlier. Another 19% fall under EPC-D.
In terms of quality, providers surveyed more than 537,000 homes over the past year. They identified nearly 41,000 properties that did not meet the Decent Homes Standard (DHS), though more than 35,400 have since been brought up to compliance. Another 9,335 homes were exempt from the standard due to factors such as redevelopment or access issues.
On rents, the data shows an average increase of 8% for general needs (social rent) properties between March 2024 and March 2025—the maximum allowed under government rent-setting rules for the year.
As of March 2025, the average weekly rent for a general needs social home in England stood at £113.69, though prices vary widely by region. The North East remains the most affordable at £95.16, while London tops the chart at £140.70.
Local authority landlords continue to offer lower average rents than private registered providers, reflecting differences in stock type and regional distribution.