The Welsh Government has confirmed it will launch a full national housing survey for the first time since 2017–18, following sustained campaigning by professional body Propertymark.
The move is expected to lay the foundation for more informed housing policy decisions in Wales, where the private rented sector (PRS) in particular has faced scrutiny amid rising demand, tighter regulation, and stretched affordability.
The decision, announced by Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government Jayne Bryant MS, follows the development of a detailed Business Justification Case assessing how best to deliver a comprehensive housing survey.
The project will mirror the English Housing Survey, which has long provided policymakers in England with robust, ongoing data on the condition, tenure, and affordability of housing stock.
SIGNIFICANT GAP
Wales has lacked equivalent annual housing intelligence for nearly a decade. The last national housing conditions survey was completed in 2017–18, leaving a significant gap in current data to underpin housing strategy and regulatory reform. In that time, the Welsh housing market has seen rising rents, legislative changes to the PRS, and growing concern over supply constraints.
Propertymark, which represents estate and letting agents across the UK, has consistently called for a national housing survey in Wales. The proposal formed a central part of its manifesto during the 2021 Welsh Parliament Elections and was repeatedly cited in its evidence to the Senedd’s Local Government and Housing Committee inquiry into the private rented sector earlier this year.
NO DATA, NO POLICY
The professional body argued that the absence of reliable housing data was a barrier to effective policymaking, particularly as Wales continues to implement housing legislation that diverges from the rest of the UK.
Among the key priorities outlined in Propertymark’s submissions were a comprehensive review of property taxation, enhanced data collection across tenures, and a coordinated strategic framework to support landlords, tenants, and agents.
The commissioned survey is expected to cover a wide range of housing-related data, including property conditions, tenure trends, rental affordability, and household composition. The initiative could prove especially valuable as policymakers grapple with how to balance tenant protection with landlord viability under Wales’s evolving housing framework, which includes rent cap proposals and changes introduced under the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016.
MARKET SNAPSHOT
The lack of up-to-date, region-specific housing data has frequently been cited as a shortcoming by sector stakeholders, particularly as the devolved administration pursues its own policy agenda separate from Westminster. In England, the national housing survey provides an annual snapshot of the market that is used to guide taxation, benefit policy, housing standards, and construction targets.
The introduction of a Welsh equivalent may also help the government better track the impact of recent interventions in the PRS and ensure future changes are backed by clear evidence.
MAKING THE RIGHT DECISIONS
Timothy Douglas, Head of Policy and Campaigns at Propertymark, says: “It is positive news that the Welsh Government has listened to Propertymark and others and will commission a Welsh Housing Survey as accurate data, statistics, and evidence are vital for good policymaking. This is something we have long called for.
“Housing plays a vital role in people’s lives and property standards and the role of agents and the actions of landlords and tenants, as well as home buyers and sellers, needs to be better captured in order to ensure policymakers have an accurate view of the industry and ultimately make the right decisions for Wales.”
