Housing Statistics 2022 & 2023: Key Trends Summary

As of 31st March 2022, there were an estimated 2.7 million dwellings in Scotland. An estimated 61% of dwellings were owner occupied, 4% being vacant or second homes, 13% being private rented or where the household is living rent free, and 23% being social rented properties.

The number of dwellings in Scotland has increased by 36% over the last 4 decades from 1.97 million in 1981 to 2.7 million in 2022. This has coincided with an increasing Scottish population and the increased prevalence of smaller households.

Chart 5 illustrates trends across tenure types, showing a rise in owner occupation and a decrease in local authority stock from 1981 to 2001, attributed to the Right to Buy initiative, transfers of stock to housing associations, and a decline in local authority new builds.

The reduction in owner occupation between 2008 and 2014 (of 4% or 55,000 dwellings) coincided with a large increase in the number of households renting privately or living rent free (of 51% or 127,000 dwellings). This trend was likely influenced by the 2008 financial crisis.

For the years following 2001, social rented stock estimates are derived directly from data held by the Scottish Housing Regulator. This estimate of social rented stock is then subtracted from total dwelling counts of occupied properties (National Records of Scotland data), and the remainder is apportioned between privately owner occupied and private rented stock, based on the tenure proportions recorded in the Scottish Household Survey. Estimates of stock of private vacant and second homes are based directly on the data from National records of Scotland.

As the figures presented on private rented and owner-occupied dwellings are informed by proportions recorded in on the Scottish Household Survey, like other surveys, they subject to sampling margins of error. The latest year to end March 2022 shows a rise in owner occupation and a fall in private rented or living rent free stock levels. This is likely due to methodological issues in the Scottish Household Survey (SHS). The 2022 SHS tenure estimates have a slight under-representation of social and private rented households in its sample and an over-representation of owner-occupied households. Social rented stock counts are provided by local authorities and the Scottish Housing Regulator so are not affected by the slight bias in the 2022 SHS.

Whilst the SHS tenure estimates may have a slight bias in 2022, the results have been assessed to be comparable in the most part to 2019 and earlier years. The 2020 and 2021 SHS are not directly comparable to previous years or the SHS 2022 estimates due changes in methodology for the SHS due to the pandemic period. Therefore, it is not advised to make comparisons using 2022 (or data before 2020) with 2020 and 2021 estimates of private rented or living rent free and owner-occupied housing stock estimates.

As Chart 5 indicates, private rented sector or living rent free stock estimates are lower (9%) and owner-occupied stock is 5% higher in March 2022 than 2019. The 2022 SHS report indicates the number of households in the private rented sector decreased by 6%  between 2019 and 2022. As the SHS report indicates, decreases (1%) were also seen in the number of properties registered on the Scottish Landlord Register between 2019 and 2022.

Chart 5: Since 1981 the biggest changes have seen a reduction in local authority stock and increase in home ownership.

Chart 6 displays tenure estimates by local authority as of 31st March 2022, indicating varying rates of owner occupation, private renting or living rent free, and social renting across regions. Cities generally have lower owner occupation rates and higher private renting percentages.

Chart 6: Stock by tenure estimates vary by local authority area, as of 31st March 2022.

Further detailed figures are available in the Stock by Tenure Excel web tables.