as England moves closer to becoming a nation of renters

• Ownership has been falling since 2003 peak of 70.9%
• Number of private renters has doubled in a decade
• Overall, 14.3m households own their home vs 7.7m that rent

Home ownership in England has tumbled to its lowest percentage in nearly a quarter of a century after the country saw a large spike in private renters. In 2012/13, 65.2 per cent of households were owner-occupiers according to the English Housing Survey data from the Department for Communities and Local Government, the lowest share recorded since 1987. And as ownership dreams continue to fade for a generation who are struggling to keep up with soaring property prices, private landlords are the ones who are largely benefiting. According to the statistics, 18 per cent of households now live in the private rented sector, the highest proportion since records began in 1980. This also coincides with a drop-off in the proportion of households living in socially-rented accommodation, such as a local authority or a housing association home, which fell to 16.8 per cent. This was the lowest share since records began......Read more here