More people own their homes outright than have a mortgage or rent

More people now own their homes outright than have a mortgage or rent them. Figures show that 32.6% of dwellings were owned outright in England in 2021, up from 30.7% in 2011. Another 28% of properties are owned with a mortgage or loan, down four percentage points on a decade earlier. And 20% are privately rented, up 3.7%, the Office for National Statistics said. Overall the figures showed there were 24.9m dwellings across England in 2021, up 8.5% in a decade. The most common type of accommodation was a semi-detached house, accounting for 30% of all homes. Helen Morrissey, head of retirement analysis at Hargreaves Lansdown, said: "While it is good to see more people have paid off their homes, it is also important to note that the percentage of people renting also continues to rise and this shows the battle many people have getting a toehold on the housing ladder".

Daily Mail (01/04/2023)