Accredited official statistics

Local Authority Registered Provider (LARP) technical notes and definitions

Updated 26 October 2021

Applies to England

Introduction

These technical notes and definitions support the latest statistics release on local authority registered providers (LARPs) social housing stock and rents in England. The release comprises of a briefing note, additional tables, look-up tool, supplementary documents and raw data, all available through the statistical release pages.

Data sources

LARP social housing stock and rents statistics are derived from the local authority data return (LADR). This survey collects stock and rent information from English local authorities registered with us as providers as social housing . We collect these data to support the regulation of the rent standard.

The LADR is collected annually and was first collected in 2020. The data submitted by LARPs^{[footnote 1]} are drawn from their housing management records. Further information on the collection, processing and analysis of the data can be found in the data quality and methodology note.

Local authority housing statistics (LAHS) and LADR

Data on stock and rents for local authority social housing were collected by MHCLG in previous years through the local authority housing statistic (LAHS). The data from these was published annually from 2009/10 on the local authority housing data pages.

Following consultation with local authorities and in response to the requirement for us to regulate rents for social housing from 1 April 2020 several questions were transferred from LAHS to LADR in 2020. The data collected in LADR is broadly comparable with that previously collected, whilst increasing the granularity of information required to support regulation of the rent standard. The prior year comparability section (page 8) provides more details.

Coverage

The statistics provide information on social housing that is owned by LARPs. Data collected in LADR on stock size, types, location and rents is as at 31 March, but users should note that figures prior to 2019 collected through LAHS were as at 1 April. All figures in this document refer to stock located in England. All data collected through the LADR is at a local authority level (as all LARPs are local authorities). We present the data in these statistics at individual local authority and regional level. As an organisation we are required to restrict data collection to that which is used to support our regulatory activity. More detailed unit or sub-LA geographical data are not collected as we do not require this granularity of data and consider the burden of the request disproportionate to the value it would add to the regulation of the rent standard. The definitions used within the release are consistent with the way data was collected each year.

National Statistics status

The local authority registered provider social housing stock and rents in England statistics are designated a national statistic. For more information see the data quality and methodology note.

Publication schedule

These statistics will usually be fully published in the Autumn year, with the data pre-announced in the release calendar. However, in 2020/21, due to our response to the Coronavirus pandemic, release of these statistics was delayed until February 2021. All statistics are published on our statistics pages.

Purposes and uses of the data

We use the LADR data as a source of administrative data, specifically within our operational approach to regulating the rent standard (see data quality and methodology note for more information).

Why is the data published?

The United Kingdom Statistics Authority (UKSA) encourages public bodies to use administrative data for statistical purposes, as such, we publish these data annually. The published dataset promotes transparency. The publication of LADR data provides users with geographical breakdowns of stock types and social rents, which we believe are of significant value. These statistics are comparable to data on other housing types published in other statistics, including the private registered provider statistics we release, and the local authority housing statistics previously published by MHCLG.

Who uses the data?

The primary users of these statistics and the underlying data are our own staff, who use this data for the purposes of regulating the rent standard.

We believe that others will use these data in similar ways to the private registered provider (PRP) social housing stock and rents statistics and the previous releases of LAHS. Central and local government are likely to use these statistics for a variety of purposes, including policy development and the production of statistics and as a basis for answering Parliamentary questions and other requests for information by Ministers, local authorities and the general public. LARPs and PRPs are likely to use the data to inform business planning and benchmarking and journalists and academics are likely to find this data useful for research into and understanding of the social housing sector.

These statistics are being published as experimental statistics and we encourage feedback from users on the value of their publication.

How is the data released and what can it be used for?

The statistical release and the accompanying dataset are useful primary sources of information for users interested in the social housing sector in England. The dataset underlying this release is the most comprehensive source of information on the stock and rents for LARPs in England, collecting stock data from all LARPs in 2020. We publish the raw data set along with a briefing note providing commentary and context for the data presented. Additional supplementary tables and maps are available to provide additional information at an LA level, and an Excel-based look-up tool is provided for easy access to the data.

When combined with private registered provider social housing in England statistics, this provides the fullest picture of stock and rent information across the social housing provision in England. See our statistical release registered provider social housing stock and rents in England on our website.

Strengths and limitations of the data from which the statistics are drawn

The LADR is designed to be a complete census of LARPs, and therefore no sampling errors should be present in the final dataset. In 2020 there were no missing data as all LARPs submitted data to LADR. However, the data may contain reporting errors in the data submitted by individual LARPs (see data quality and methodology note for more information on how we deal with this).

Strengths of the LADR

The LADR data collection is the source of information on social housing that is owned by LARPs. Comprehensive data on stock types, size, location and rents is collected annually directly from the providers of that stock. The data are subject to both automated and manual cleaning by a team of experienced analysts. We take data quality very seriously, see data quality and methodology note for more information.

Limitations to note

Although we are confident in the quality of the LADR data we are aware of some limitations due to data collection methodology.

Stock classification - As in previous years, the likely areas for data error are the classification of stock units. These errors are most likely in the classification of stock owned by LARPs as a result of different interpretations of stock classifications under various legislation. This is also complicated by the wide variety of supported housing services and accommodation types offered by LARPs.

LARP data recording - All data derived from the LADR are supplied to us directly by LARPs. We work with LARPs to limit errors in the supplied data but we are unable to verify all figures. Data changes year on year may be impacted by LARP recording practices or internal reviews.

LADR introduction - While the questions within the LADR are similar to those in the previous LAHS returns, the introduction of any new survey can create a potential for a break in the continuity of the time series. This is due to LARPs reviewing their data more closely, confirming definitions or checking accuracy. The prior year comparability section (page 8) gives details of the questions in LAHS and LADR and considers the impact the changes between collections may have.

Factors impacting the statistics

The figures reported in these statistics can be impacted by internal factors and external influences. These can dictate practices and patterns in social housing provision and create differences in categorisation and recording within and between years.

Effect of government policy

Changes in government policy relating to different aspects of the social housing sector impact the statistics on the shape and nature of the sector overall. Those likely to impact the 2020 statistics are outlined below.

Regulation of rents

The LADR collection has been introduced to support our regulation of the rent standard. The collection in 2020 forms the baseline data series for this activity, and we have guided local authorities to submit data consistent with the requirements outlined in the Government’s Policy Statement on Rents for Social Housing 2018 (the ‘policy statement’). This confirms that, from April 2020 registered providers (including local authority) are required to set rents in accordance with this policy.

Prior to 2020 local authority registered providers were subject to a control known as the ‘Limit Rent’ which reflected the prevailing rent policy. Limit Rent served to indirectly control local authority social housing rents through the Housing Benefits system. The consultation on a proposed direction to the Regulator of Social Housing (‘the Regulator’) on social housing rents from 1 April 2020 provides more details.

Although the data collected in the 2020 LADR relates to the year prior to 1 April 2020, the introduction of the policy statement, our Rent Standard and the change in data collection may have caused providers to review stock categorisation and rent figures supplied in the 2020 LADR collection and created a slight divergence in the time series from data submitted to LAHS.

Large scale voluntary transfers (LSVT)

LSVTs describe the transfer of all or a substantial part of a local authority social housing to a private registered provider. The first LSVT occurred in 1988 and approximately half of all local authorities in England have transferred some or all their stock to PRPs since. Most of the transfers occurred between 1990 and 2009, with the most recent LSVTs occurring in 2015 (see private registered provider social housing in England statistics for 2014/15 and 2015/16 for more information). When LSVTs occur unit numbers for local authority social housing are seen to fall substantially in that local authority area.

Effects of public subsidy

The role that public subsidy plays in the changes to stock numbers should be considered, especially when considering any gains. Changes in available public subsidy also reflect underlying changes in government policy. For information on public subsidy please see information published by Homes England.

Affordable Rent

Affordable Rent can only be offered by local authorities as part of a contractual agreement with the Homes and Communities Agency (known as Homes England) or Greater London Authority (GLA). Levels of growth are principally driven by the timing of the funding and delivery programme.

Home ownership

The mix of stock to be delivered under the 2016-2021 Shared Ownership and Affordable Homes Programme (SOAHP) has evolved during the lifecycle of the programme. The initial prospectus and bidding round for the programme was focused almost exclusively on shared ownership and other home ownership products. The Autumn Statement in November 2016 increased the funding available for affordable homes delivery (and also made grant funding available for Affordable Rent schemes).

Effects of LARP recording

The data from which the statistics are produced are provided by LARPs. This data is likely drawn directly from LARP housing management systems. While we challenge data which appear anomalous (see data quality and methodology note for more information), we ultimately rely on LARPs to provide an accurate reflection of their operations.

Changes to policy (such as Government’s Policy Statement on Rents for Social Housing 2018) may impact on LARPs’ recording of stock (for example requiring the reclassification of stock based on changing requirements). We rely on LARPs to accurately categorise their stock according to prevailing policy (see also limitations of LADR data on page 6).

Prior year comparability

While the factors impacting on the social sector may impact on the comparability between years, the key change in the data in 2020 is the movement of the data collection from MHCLG’s local authority housing statistics (LAHS) to our local authority data return (LADR). The table below shows the key areas of change which may impact on data reported between the 2018/19 LAHS and 2019/20 LADR.

	LAHS Collection	LADR Collection	Why did it change?	What was the impact?
Stock coverage	Section A Q2 and Section H Q1-Q4 covered units held in a Housing Revenue Account (HRA) only.	Return covers all units owned by the local authority.	The rent standard applies to social housing owned by local authorities. Therefore, we need details of all units owned and not only those held in a HRA.	Most social housing units are held by local authorities in a HRA. The inclusion of units held outside the HRA has resulted in less than 1,000 units being included in the LADR data which were previously excluded from the LAHS data.
Headline stock data	Section A Q2 units held in a Housing Revenue Account (HRA).	Return covers all units owned by the local authority for social housing.	The rent standard applies to social housing owned by local authorities. Therefore, we need details of all units for which a rent is received.	A few LARPs reported excluding units reported in the headline figures submitted to LAHS from the LADR data return. This is due to a small number of units reported to LAHS (as still held as social housing within the HRA) when they are no longer actively used for social housing and no rent is received (for example once taken out of use and awaiting demolition). We believe this explains the majority of the 0.3% difference in stock totals between LAHS and LADR.
Tenure types	The stock and rents questions in LAHS split social housing into “social rent” and “Affordable Rent”.	LADR further divides social rent and Affordable Rent, collecting stock and rent information about general needs and supported housing units in both social and Affordable Rents.	Rent rules apply differently to supported housing and general needs units, this means the division of data by tenure types is essential for the regulation of local authority rents.	LARPs may have been more focused on ensuring appropriate categorisation of units in 2020 and this may have impacted on reporting of units/ rents. The recombined totals should be comparable to the totals collected in LAHS.
Dwelling sizes	LAHS captured the number of Dwelling equivalent units in section A Q2. Section H captured rent data for bedsits to six or more bedrooms (but did not capture rent information for non-self-contained units).	LADR captures the number of Dwelling equivalent units in stock information section (to ensure timeseries comparability with LAHS). Rent sections capture non-self-contained units (bedspaces) to six or more bedrooms.	The dwelling equivalent capture employed in LAHS does not provide us with the granularity of information required on non-self-contained unit rents, however we wanted to ensure no loss in timeseries from LAHS. Note: We would like to hear from users of the data as to the importance of the continuation of dwelling equivalent figures.	LADR guidance provided examples of dwelling equivalent calculations in order to support LARPs in completing the LADR. This increased guidance provision may have led some providers to recalculate their dwelling equivalent figures differently than in previous years (however the underlying calculation requirements did not change).
Stock classification	LAHS requires providers to divide stock into social and Affordable Rents	LADR requires providers to divide stock into social general needs, social supported housing, Affordable Rent general needs and Affordable Rent supported housing.	Rent rules apply differently to supported housing and general needs units, this means the division of rent data by tenure types is essential for the regulation of local authority rents.	The combination of focus on classification and the cleaning processes examining rents for each tenure may have led to providers confirming the recorded classification of units. Comparing LADR data with provisional headline LAHS figures indicate that some LARPs may have divided units slightly differently between categories. However, the impact of this will be minimal (analysis suggests that it is likely to be fewer than 500 units).
Stock classification and rents	LAHS guidance asked local authorities to determine the classification of units and value of rents by determining how the property was being offered to those on the waiting list; the previous rent if the property had been previously let but was now vacant; or the intended type of rent the property was developed for.	LADR captures average weekly rents for social rent (net) and Affordable Rent (gross), split by general needs and supported housing, by unit size.	Rent rules apply differently to supported housing and general needs units, this means the division of rent data by tenure types is essential for the regulation of local authority rents.	LARPs may have been more focused on ensuring appropriate categorisation of units in 2020 and this may have impacted on reporting of rents.The recombined totals should be comparable to the totals collected in LAHS.
Leasehold and shared ownership units	LAHS asked local authorities to record their leasehold and shared ownership units (where the leaseholder had not reached the maximum % ownership) in Q2. In Section H leasehold units were excluded.	LADR requests leasehold and shared ownership units are recorded as low cost home ownership (LCHO).	LCHO products are distinct from the low cost rental units covered by the policy statement. There is a form of shared ownership product which is both low cost home ownership and low cost rental, but it is an excepted category in the policy statement. We required providers to be clear in their distinction between rental and ownership units for the regulation of local authority rents.	The totals for stock should be unaffected by the request to report LCHO in a separate column in LADR. A recombined total should be comparable to the totals collected in LAHS.
Question wording	LAHS asked for units to be recorded as social rent and Affordable Rent.	LADR requests units are recorded as “Low cost rental (excluding Affordable Rent)” and “Affordable Rent”.	To ensure consistency with the policy statement definitions (as the term “social rent” does not apply to excepted units). Note: in the publication of statistics, in line with common usage, “social rent” is used to refer to low cost rental units which are not Affordable Rent units (and will include units excepted from the policy statement).	Likely none, but providers may have reviewed their stock classifications as a result of the change.
Net and gross rents	LAHS guidance asked providers to exclude service charges from the rent data submitted in Section H (Q2a and Q2b). This included asking providers to exclude service charges from Affordable Rent.	LADR confirms that service charges should be excluded from social rent figures submitted. However, in line with Affordable Rent policy a gross rent (inclusive of all service charges) must be reported for Affordable Rent.	Affordable Rent may be set at 80% of market rent but this must be inclusive of all service charges. Therefore, Affordable Rent is captured as a GROSS value. Social rent is regulated on net rent (i.e. exclusive of service charges). This capture of rent data in this way is essential for regulation of local authority rents.	A 5% increase in overall AR rents was seen between 2019 and 2020. This being higher than the % increases seen in previous years (1.8% and 1.6% in 2019 and 2018 respectively). However, given the relatively small number of AR units (26,000) and the relatively large increase in stock numbers (20%) between 2019 and 2020 this change may not all be attributable to the definitional changes.
Formula rent	LAHS did not collect formula rent.	LADR collects formula rent for social rent units.	Formula rent is an important factor in the setting of rents in line with the prevailing rent policy. This information is essential for regulation of local authority rents.	This is the first year of capture. Some local authorities may identify issues within this data in subsequent years and the data should be viewed with some caution in this inaugural year.
Excepted unit rent data	LAHS collected rent data for ‘social rent’ units, by bedsize. Local authorities were not required to split out units excepted from the prevailing rent setting regime.	LADR splits out average weekly rents for low cost rental units to those covered by the policy statement and those excepted from it.	This change is required so that we can regulate local authority rents.	Likely none, but providers may have reviewed their stock classifications as a result of the change. The combined rent figures should be comparable to LAHS data.
Rent weeks	LARPs instructed to supply an average weekly rent, with the instruction that where a year was not 52 weeks, the entry should not be averaged over a 52- week year but only based on the chargeable rent weeks for each dwelling.	Additional guidance on how to deal with years with up to 53 potential rent charges and the introduction of a tool to confirm the required calculation of the average weekly rents for each LARPs based on their circumstances.	While the essence of the requirement did not change, we introduced additional guidance to ensure standardisation in average weekly rent reporting and to ensure rent data was reported in line with our requirements in each year.	This instruction and the additional cleaning effort to check incoming rent data may impact on the year-on-year changes seen in average weekly rent values. Further, where PRPs have given tenants a (or an additional) ‘rent free’ week, a reduction in their average weekly rent values of 1.9% compared to a year with 52 charges (or 52 less the number of rent free weeks in that year) will be seen.

Revisions policy

We have adopted the revisions policy developed by MHCLG.

This policy covers two types of revisions.

Scheduled revisions – where the receipt of subsequent information is expected. These statistics are based on data collected in the LADR. This survey has no scheduled revisions period. We expect LARPs to submit complete, accurate data in a single survey round. As such, there are no scheduled revisions planned for this release. However, the data collected through LADR is used to inform engagement on registered providers’ compliance with the rent standard. As part of their response to any issues raised by us, providers subject their data to increased validation and may identify errors in the data submitted. We are committed to ensuring the quality of the SDR data and will gather corrected data from PRPs as part of this work. We will, therefore, republish these statistics in the April of the year following the initial publication, if the aggregate changes made by providers require a major revision.

Non-scheduled revisions – where subsequent information is received unexpectedly, for example to rectify a data error or where methodological issues are identified.

If a substantial error occurs as a result of the production process or due to errors in submitted figures reported by LARPs after the survey has closed, the statistical release and accompanying tables will be updated with a correction notice as soon as is practical. Revisions will normally only be made to the previous year’s data and not earlier years. Revised data are denoted ‘R’ in tables and each document (including the raw data release) contains a revisions history.

We consider data quality and transparency in publication of data a priority. As such where errors are identified through regulatory engagement we will ensure published data are revised.

The data quality and methodology note provides information about our approach to data quality and publication of revisions when they are required.

Related statistics

Social housing statistics in the UK are available for England and the devolved administrations. While the statistics derived from LADR data cover local authority stock in England, those listed below provide additional information on development activity or provide information on social housing owned outside the LARP sector (including that owned by PRPs in England).

Private registered provider social housing stock and rents

Published by us, these national statistics provide information on housing stock, lettings, average rents, decent homes and evictions by PRPs in England.

They are compatible with the data within this statistical release.

Registered provider social housing stock and rents

A briefing note and tables, drawing together the PRP and LARP statistics we publish is also available.

MHCLG Housing statistics

MHCLG produce a range of statistics from data collected from providers of social housing. Summary information about their collections, including frequency and topic area is provided on their website.

Of most relevance to this publication are the local authority housing statistics (LAHS).

Local authority housing statistic (LAHS)

LAHS data are published by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) annually. They provide information on stock, lettings, average rents (prior to 2020), waiting lists, decent homes delivery and evictions by LA landlords in England.

The LAHS statistics are broadly compatible with the statistics drawn from the LADR, although there are some definitional differences, particularly in the way in which bedspaces and LCHO units were treated prior to 2020. See prior year comparability section for more information on the way in which LAHS and LADR data are collected and used.

CORE

MHCLG collects data through CORE (the continuous recording of lettings and sales in social housing in England). This system records information on all new social housing lettings and sales (for both LA and PRP properties), along with the characteristics of new social housing tenants and the homes they rent and buy. All providers delivering Affordable Rent units are obliged to update CORE.

Information on lettings from CORE is available in the MHCLG release on Social Housing Lettings

Information on sales from CORE is available in the MHCLG release on Social Housing Sales

The Housing Statistics release (produced each year in June and November) by Homes England details the supply of new stock, through housing starts on site and completions made for each programme managed by Homes England, by LA and tenure.

The Housing Statistics release relates only to new stock, while the SDR covers both existing and new stock. London is excluded from the Affordable Housing Starts and Completions in the Housing Statistics release. When reviewing new build data against figures contained in these statistics, reference to the limitations in new build recording should be made (see page 3).

Affordable Housing Statistics (England)

The Greater London Authority (GLA) publishes data relating to other London housing delivery, with monthly and annual Affordable Housing Statistics. When reviewing new build data against figures contained in these statistics, reference to the limitations in new build recording should be made (see page 3).

Affordable Housing Starts and Completions (England)

MHCLG combines data from Homes England and GLA to publish live tables on Affordable Housing supply.

English Housing Survey (England)

This survey is comprised of two parts. The first covers household profiles (including tenure trends, demographic and economic characteristics, rents and housing benefit). The second covers housing stock (age, size and type, energy efficiency, decent homes and homes affected by damp).

The data cover all dwellings in England, so include stock from both the private (free market) and social housing sectors, though stock figures covering the social sector do separate LA and PRP dwellings.

Private Rental Market Statistics (England)

The Valuation Office Agency releases statistics on the average rents paid for private properties in England (private rental market) twice yearly (May and November).

While average rents are provided by unit sizes comparable to the LADR and by LA location, all figures are on a monthly, rather than a weekly basis as in the LADR and other releases mentioned in this section. The underlying data set is not drawn from a statistical sample, so the statistics should be treated as indicative only.

Related statistics - devolved administrations

Information on social housing in the rest of the UK is available from the respective devolved administrations. It should be noted that, due to differences in the collection period, methodology and terminology, direct comparisons should be made with care. Details of the data collected and methodologies used can be obtained from the sources below.

Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland Housing Statistics are produced annually by the Department for Communities. These statistics contain information on supply, energy, social renting demand, private renting demand, owner occupier demand and household characteristics.

While the report covers all homes in Northern Ireland, the social renting demand section focuses more on applications/ allocations/ homelessness, though it does also provide comparable overall average weekly rents for housing associations.

Scotland

The Scottish Government produce a range of statistics in the annual Housing Statistics for Scotland. These include information on new housing supply, public sector stock and house sales, LA housing management, supported housing, houses in multiple occupation and right to buy entitlement.

The social housing tables contain a selection of statistics that offer some coherence with the SDR, such as stock counts, average weekly rents, sales and vacancies. Most of these measures are available by individual LA location, with some available by landlord type (registered social provider versus LAs).

Wales

The Welsh Government produces the Social Housing Stock and Rents Statistical Release on an annual basis, running across the financial year. The report includes information on the number of dwellings, bedsits and bedspaces owned or partly owned by LAs and registered social landlords, along with breakdowns of location of stock at LA level.

This release provides unit counts and average weekly rents, split by provision type and by LA location for registered social landlords’ stock, which are comparable with the equivalent SDR statistics.

Definition of terms

The definitions presented below are provided for clarity of terms and categories within this release. They are consistent with definitions for the data collected in the 2020 LADR collection (based on a view ‘as at’ or ‘in the year to’ 31 March 2020). See the 2019-20 LADR guidance published as part of this release for more information.

Affordable Rent

Affordable Rent homes are those made available to households eligible for low cost rental housing at a rent level of no more than 80% (inclusive of service charges) of local market rents. Affordable Rent homes must form part of an agreement with Homes England or the Greater London Authority. They can be either general needs or supported housing. See also London Affordable Rent.

Dwelling equivalents of HMO/ hostels

The ‘dwelling equivalent’ of multi-occupied dwellings has two components – a figure derived from bedspaces in hostels and a figure derived from ‘clusters’ in houses in multiple occupation (HMOs). Dwelling equivalents are only captured in LADR to ensure continuity with the previous LAHS collection.

Dwelling equivalents are calculated as follows:

• Hostels – for hostels the dwelling equivalent is derived from the number of groups of three bed spaces in the hostel. The total number of bedspaces in each hostel at 31 March is divided by three, with any balance counting as one dwelling.
• HMO (with clusters) – In HMOs with shared facilities, the dwelling equivalent is derived from the number of ‘clusters’ in the dwelling. A ‘cluster’ is a group of rooms in a HMO serving as separate accommodation for two or more persons but sharing common kitchen, bathroom and lavatory; where such a dwelling accommodates six of fewer persons, this counts as one cluster; where it accommodates more than six persons, the number of clusters is calculated by dividing the number of persons by six, with any balance counting as one clusters. The figure derived as the number of clusters is the dwellings equivalent for the HMOs.

Exceptions/ excepted units (rents)

Units with an exception from the rent standard are set out in the Policy statement on rents for social housing.

General needs housing

General needs housing covers the bulk of housing stock for rent. It includes both self-contained units and non-self-contained hostel/ shared housing units and bedspaces. General needs housing is stock that is not designated for specific client groups.

Gross rent

The total charged to tenants inclusive of all rent and property related service charges.

London Affordable Rent

London Affordable Rent (LAR), was introduced in 2016 by the Mayor of London. LAR units are Affordable Rent units in London let at or below the weekly rent benchmarks set by the GLA. They are included in Affordable Rent figures in the LADR collection. For more information see the Mayor of London website.

Low cost home ownership (LCHO)

LCHO accommodation is defined in the Housing and Regeneration Act 2008 as being that occupied or made available for occupation in accordance with shared ownership arrangements, shared equity arrangements, or shared ownership trusts; and it is made available to people whose needs are not adequately served by the commercial housing market.

LCHO figures do not include ‘fully staircased’ properties, that is properties once occupied under relevant arrangements but where the occupier has for example acquired a 100% share of a shared ownership property or repaid an equity loan on a shared equity property in full. Fully staircased properties where the landlord has retained a freehold interest are not included in the return.

An LCHO unit should be recorded as a full unit within the LADR return while the local authority retains a percentage share. Once the local authority’s percentage share is 0% then the unit is no longer captured within the LADR return. This is different to previous recording in LAHS (where the share of the equity in the dwelling acquired by the tenant was excluded).

The conditions under which LCHO properties are regarded as sold to occupiers (e.g. through being fully staircased) are more formally set out in Housing and Regeneration Act 2008.

Low cost rental

The term low cost rental is used in these statistics to denote any stock which meets the definition of low cost rental accommodation in the Housing and Regeneration Act 2008. It must be available for rent, with a rent below market value, and in accordance with the rules designed to ensure that it is made available to people whose needs are not adequately served by the commercial housing market.

Net rent

The rent charged to tenants excluding all service charges.

Non-self-contained unit (bedspace)

A non-self-contained unit will consist of an area in a hostel/ dormitory or other similar entity or a room or rooms (within a block of flats, sheltered scheme, house in multiple occupation or similar entity) which is/ are private to the tenant but which require sharing of some or all living, cooking, bathroom or toilet amenities. When counting non-self-contained units, LARPs record the number of areas for which an individual tenancy can be issued, not the number of occupants. All non-self-contained units are recorded in the LADR as bedspaces.

Policy statement on rents for social housing

LARPs refer to the policy statement on rents for social housing (referred to as the ‘policy statement’) for information on categorising stock and determining rents and formula rents. The document is available on our website.

Right to Buy (RtB)

The statutory rights of secure tenants to purchase the property they occupy from their landlord (public sector). The main legal provisions are contained in Part 5 of the Housing Act 1985, as amended.

Self-contained unit

A self-contained unit is one in which all the rooms (including kitchen, bathroom and toilet) in a household’s accommodation are behind a door, which only that household can use and therefore allows that household exclusive use of them. Some self-contained units, especially flats, may have some common services such as a central boiler for heating and/ or hot water. Households which share a common entrance hall, but otherwise have all their accommodation behind their own front door are self-contained. Bedsits are considered self-contained units.

Service charges

Service charges are payable by some tenants in addition to rent. Service charges usually reflect additional services which may not be provided to every tenant, or which may be connected with communal facilities rather than being particular to the occupation of a dwelling. Service charges are subject to separate legal requirements and are limited to covering the cost of providing the services.

All service charges should be excluded from the net rent calculations in the low cost rental rent data section. The rent for Affordable Rent should be inclusive of all property related service charges. The rent calculations in the Affordable Rent data section should be on a gross rent basis.

Shared ownership

A dwelling disposed of on shared ownership terms should be recorded as a full unit within the LADR return while the local authority retains a percentage share. Once the local authority’s percentage share is 0% then the unit is no longer captured within the LADR return. This is different to previous recording of shared ownership units under LAHS (where the share of the equity in the dwelling acquired by the tenant was excluded).

Social housing

Social housing is defined in the Housing and Regeneration Act 2008 sections 68-77. The term covers low cost rental, low cost home ownership and accommodation owned by LARPs as previously defined in the Housing Act 1996.

Social rent

In these statistics social rent refers to all low cost rental units that are general needs or supported housing (excluding Affordable Rent). This includes units with exceptions from the rent standard.

Social stock

Social stock is used in these statistics to denote the total number of low cost rental and low cost home ownership units. Total social stock figures represent the number of self-contained units plus bedspaces.

Supported housing

Units can only be counted as supported housing if they meet the definition of supported housing specified in the policy statement. The fact that a tenant receives support services in their home does not make it supported housing.

Categorisation of units

The graphic below shows the types of unit included in each category used in the statistics. Social rent and Affordable Rent are both included in low cost rental figures. In the statistics the term ‘social rent’ is used for all low cost rental units which are not defined as Affordable Rent. This is in line with common usage of the term ‘social rent’ and means that ‘social rent’ units will include some units excepted from the rent standard.

Social rent and Affordable Rent are both included in low cost rental figures. In the statistics the term ‘social rent’ is used for all low cost rental units which are not defined as Affordable Rent. This is in line with common usage of the term ‘social rent’ and means that ‘social rent’ units will include some units excepted from the rent standard.

User should note that the terminology used in the LADR collection is more specific. It reflects the use of terms as per the policy statement, as ‘social rent’ describes only units to which the policy statement (and therefore the rent standard) applies. To ensure the capture of the total number of units (including those excepted from the rent standard) the term ‘low cost rental – excluding Affordable Rent’ is used.

Why not have your say on our statistics in 2021/22?

As this is the first year of publication for these statistics, we are keen to hear your views on how the format and range of documents in this statistical release meet your needs. Please email feedback, including suggestions for improvements to enquiries@rsh.gov.uk.

1. Users should note that local authorities who own social housing must be registered with the RSH. Therefore, data on stock owned by LARPs covers all social housing owned by local authorities. ↩