Six in ten tenants across England and Wales are renting for longer than they ever expected as rising house prices and affordability pressures continue to push homeownership out of reach for many households.
Research from LRG’s Spring 2026 Lettings Report found that 40% of tenants have been renting for much longer than planned, while a further 20% said they had remained in the rental sector somewhat longer than anticipated. Just 1% said they had since gone on to buy a home.
The findings suggest the private rented sector is increasingly becoming a long-term housing solution rather than a stepping stone to ownership, with many tenants settling into properties for extended periods.
The data shows that 59% of tenants have lived in their current rental home for three years or more, including almost a quarter who have remained in the same property for more than a decade. Only 5% have been in their current home for less than a year.
GREATER SECURITY
The research comes as the Renters’ Rights Act introduces Assured Periodic Tenancies, giving tenants greater security and the ability to remain in properties indefinitely. However, LRG argues that the legislation reflects an existing trend rather than creating a new one.
Tenant attitudes towards long-term renting remain mixed. While 40% of those renting longer than planned said they had accepted the situation but still hoped to buy eventually, 23% said renting suited them. However, almost a third (32%) said they felt stuck and frustrated by their inability to move into homeownership.
The report also found that 51% of tenants feel their rental property genuinely feels like home, although 24% said it still feels temporary despite the length of time they have spent renting.
MAKING A DIFFERENCE
Allison Thompson (main picture, inset), Chief Lettings Officer at Leaders, part of LRG, says: “Renting for longer is no longer the exception – for a growing number of people it has quietly become the norm.
“What the data tells us is that most tenants have not chosen this; they have accepted it.
“And acceptance is not the same as satisfaction. The 32% who say they feel stuck and frustrated are a reminder that long-term renting works well when the home, the landlord and the price are right – and when tenants feel secure.
“That is exactly where good agents and good landlords can make a real difference, helping to build the kind of stability that turns a rental into a genuine home.”
