Stock by Tenure

As of 31st March 2023, there were an estimated 2.7 million dwellings in Scotland. An estimated 60% of dwellings were owner occupied, 23% being social rented properties, 13.2% being private rented or where the household is living rent free, and 3.7% being vacant or second homes.

The number of dwellings in Scotland has increased by 38% over the last 4 decades from 1.97 million in 1981 to 2.7 million in 2023. This has coincided with an increasing Scottish population and the increased prevalence of smaller households.

Chart 1 illustrates trends across tenure types, showing a particular rise in owner occupation and a decrease in local authority stock from 1981 to 2003, attributed to the Right to Buy initiative, transfers of stock to housing associations, and a decline in local authority new builds. Note that vacant private dwellings and second homes were recorded separately from owner occupation from 2001.

Chart 1: Since 1981 the biggest changes have seen a reduction in local authority stock and increase in home ownership.

The reduction in owner occupation between 2008 and 2014 (of 4.0% or 55,000 dwellings) coincided with a large increase in the number of households renting privately or living rent free (of 51% or 127,000 dwellings). This trend was likely influenced by the 2008 financial crisis.

For the years following 2001, social rented stock estimates are derived directly from data held by the Scottish Housing Regulator. This estimate of social rented stock is then subtracted from total dwelling counts of occupied properties (National Records of Scotland data), and the remainder is apportioned between privately owner occupied and private rented stock, based on the tenure proportions recorded in the Scottish Household Survey (SHS). Estimates of stock of private vacant and second homes are based directly on the data from National Records of Scotland.

As the figures presented on private rented and owner-occupied dwellings are informed by proportions recorded in on the Scottish Household Survey, like other surveys, they subject to sampling margins of error. Social rented stock counts are provided by local authorities and the Scottish Housing Regulator so are not affected by the slight bias in the 2023 SHS.

Whilst the SHS tenure estimates may have a slight bias in 2022 and 2023, the results have been assessed to be comparable in the most part to 2019 and earlier years. The 2020 and 2021 SHS are not directly comparable to previous years or the to the SHS estimates from 2022, due changes in methodology for the SHS due to the pandemic period. Therefore, it is not recommended to compare data from 2022 (or 2019 and earlier) with the 2020 and 2021 estimates for private rented, living rent-free, or owner-occupied housing stock.

As Chart 1 indicates, private rented sector or living rent free stock estimates are 4.7% lower and owner-occupied stock is 4.7% higher in March 2023 than 2019. The 2023 SHS report indicates the number of households in the private rented sector decreased by 2.9% between 2019 and 2023.

Chart 2 displays tenure estimates by local authority as of 31st March 2023, indicating varying rates of owner occupation, private renting or living rent free, and social renting across regions. Cities generally have lower owner occupation rates and higher private renting percentages.

Chart 2: Stock by tenure estimates vary by local authority area, as of 31st March 2023.

Further detailed figures are available in the Stock by Tenure Excel web tables.