Housing stock by tenure

As of 31st March 2024, there were an estimated 2.73 million dwellings in Scotland. Of these, it is estimated, that 60% were owner-occupied, 23% were social rented properties, 13% were privately rented or lived in rent-free and 4% were vacant or second homes.

Chart 1: Estimated stock of dwellings by housing tenure, 1981 to 2024, Scotland

Notes:

1. Vacant private dwellings and second homes were recorded separately from owner occupation from 2001.

2. It is not recommended to compare data points with the 2020 and 2021 estimates of owner occupied or privately rented housing stock, due to data collection disruption during the COVID-19 period. The Scottish Household Survey (SHS) like other surveys, is subject to sampling margins of error. 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. Please take this into consideration when making year to year comparisons.

3. Data for this chart is taken from the following spreadsheet: Stock by Tenure Excel web tables.

The number of dwellings in Scotland has increased from 1.97 million in 1981 to 2.73 million in 2024. This has coincided with an increasing Scottish population and the increased prevalence of smaller households.

Chart 1 illustrates the composition of 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.

The reduction in owner occupation between 2008 and 2014 (of 4% 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 influenced by the 2008 financial crisis.

Chart 2: Housing stock by tenure estimates by local authority area, as of 31st March 2024

Chart 2 displays housing tenure estimates by local authority as of 31st March 2024, 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.

Notes on housing stock by tenure estimates:

1. Further detailed figures are available in the Stock by Tenure Excel web tables.
2. From 2001 social rented stock data is sourced directly from the Scottish Housing Regulator. The count of social rented stock is then subtracted from the total dwelling counts of occupied properties (sourced from the National Records of Scotland). The remainder of dwelling stock is then apportioned between privately owner occupied and private rented stock, based on the tenure proportions recorded in the SHS. Estimates of stock of private vacant and second homes are based directly on the data from National Records of Scotland.
3. As the figures presented on private rented and owner-occupied dwellings are informed by proportions recorded in on the SHS, it is not recommended to compare data points with the 2020 and 2021 estimates of owner occupied or privately rented housing stock, due to SHS data collection disruption during the COVID-19 period.
4. The SHS, like other surveys, is subject to sampling margins of error. 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. Please take this into consideration when making year to year comparisons.