Social landlord housing sales: April 2023 to March 2024
Information on the number of social landlord housing sales in Wales and their impact on dwelling stock for April 2023 to March 2024. Saesneg yn unig.
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Introduction
This annual statistical release presents information on housing sales by social landlords. It covers sales of both local authority and Registered Social Landlord (RSL) dwellings and includes the sale of social housing and other stock. The data are used by the Welsh Government and local authorities to monitor trends in social housing sales in the context of the overall level of Welsh housing stock.
Historical data for this collection can be found on the StatsWales website.
Main points
In 2023-24 there continued to be a considerable shift from statutory to non-statutory sales, which is likely to be due to the ending of the Right to Buy and Right to Acquire Schemes in January 2019 (further information is available in the quality report). The singular statutory sale, via the Right to Buy scheme, in 2023-24 was a sale that was approved to be extended due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
- In 2023-24 there were 292 social landlord housing sales, a decrease of 18% on 2022-23 and the lowest figure since records began.
- Of the 292 dwellings sold, 130 (45%) were of social housing and 162 (55%) were of non-social housing which includes intermediate rented, shared equity and low-cost home-ownership properties.
- 285 sales were of RSL dwellings (a decrease of 16%), and the remaining 7 were sales of local authority dwellings (9 fewer dwellings than in 2022-23).
- Since 2008-09, the majority of social landlord housing sales have been by RSLs. In 2023-24, 98% of all sales were from RSLs, the highest proportion to date.
Figure 1: Sales by social landlord type, 1 April 2005 to 31 March 2024 [Note 1] [Note 2]
Description of Figure 1: A bar chart showing that since 2008-09, the majority of sales each year have been RSL dwellings, with the total number of sales fluctuating each year.
Source: Social landlord housing sales from local authorities and RSLs
Total social landlord housing sales by period and provider type (StatsWales)
[Note 1] Please see the quality report for further details on the large scale voluntary transfer of stock and for changes to definitions from 2013-14 onwards.
[Note 2] Data for 2019-20 was not collected due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Background
The tenure distribution of current dwelling stock is influenced by the sales of social landlord housing stock through Right to Buy and other schemes. Between 1 April 2023 and 31 March 2024, 7 local authority and 285 Registered Social Landlord (RSL) dwellings were sold and, therefore, became private sector dwellings. These sales resulted in an increase of 292 dwellings in private sector stock – other factors such as new build and conversions will also affect levels of private sector stock.
During the time-period covered in this report there have been various changes in legislation. This includes the Housing (Wales) Measure 2011 as well as the Abolition of the Right to Buy and Associated Rights (Wales) Act 2018 (UK legislation). Whilst we have no specific evidence of how these legislation changes changed behaviour, it is likely there will have been an impact on the number applying to use the schemes in the period leading up to their abolition.
For further detail please refer to the accompanying quality report.
Types of social landlord housing
This release analyses data on all social landlord housing sales. The types of social landlord housing covered are outlined below.
Social housing which includes:
- general needs and sheltered housing let by social landlords at social rent
- other supported housing
- Extra Care housing
- non self-contained housing units
Non-social housing which includes:
- properties at intermediate rents (including Rent First)
- Shared Equity (including Homebuy)
- low-cost home ownership
- shared ownership
- flexible tenure for the elderly
- residential care homes
- nursing care homes
- properties at market rents
- other investment properties
All social landlord housing sales
The information shown in this release, on the number of housing sales by social landlords in Wales, is based on data provided by local authorities and RSLs. It covers statutory sales of social housing through the Right to Buy and Right to Acquire schemes, as well as non-statutory (voluntary and other) sales of stock held by local authorities and RSLs.
Figure 2a: Local authority housing sales, 1 April 2005 to 31 March 2024 [Note 1] [Note 2]
Description of Figure 2a: A bar graph showing that the number of local authority sales decreased drastically between 2005-06 and 2008-09, and has remained under 200 each year since. In the last 4 years, there were 40 or fewer local authority sales.
Source: Social housing sales from local authorities
Total social landlord housing sales by period and provider type (StatsWales)
Figure 2b: Registered social landlord housing sales, 1 April 2005 to 31 March 2024 [Note 1] [Note 2]
Description of Figure 2b: A bar graph showing that the number of RSL sales has fluctuated each year since 2005-06, within a decrease seen in the latest two years.
Source: Social landlord housing sales from local authorities and RSLs
Total social landlord housing sales by period and provider type (StatsWales)
[Note 1] Please see the quality report for further details on the large scale voluntary transfer of stock
[Note 2] Data for 2019-20 was not collected due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The total number of social landlord housing sales has been generally decreasing since the over 7,000 sales in 2003-04. Since 2008-09, the lowest sales were seen this year with 292, whilst the highest were 801 in 2018-19.
It is likely the high level of statutory sales in 2018-19 was due to applicants making use of the Right to Buy and Right to Acquire schemes ahead of their final abolition for existing stock in January 2019.
During 2023-24 the sale of dwellings decreased to 292, from 357 dwellings in 2022-23. The sale of RSL dwellings decreased to 285 (16% less) whereas local authority sales decreased to 7 dwellings (9 less).
Of the 292 dwellings sold, 130 (45%) were of social housing and 162 (55%) were of non-social housing which includes intermediate rented, shared equity and low-cost home-ownership properties. The number of social housing dwellings sold in 2023-24 was 17% higher than the 111 sold during 2022-23 and represented less than 0.1% of the entire social housing stock (StatsWales) of 238,966 dwellings as at 31 March 2023. The number of non-social housing sales decreased by 34% in 2023-24 from the 246 sales in 2022-23. Further breakdowns can be found on the StatsWales website.
Sales by type
During 2023-24, all sales bar one (291 dwellings) were non-statutory (‘voluntary’ and ‘other) sales.
Voluntary sales were the largest sales by type accounting for 60% of all sales (175 dwellings). These include sales of a property where, for example, it is surplus to requirements due to low demand or where it is uneconomic to repair. Voluntary sales may cover both social housing and non-social housing.
There were 59 sales (20%) via the low-cost home ownership scheme. This scheme allows qualifying purchasers to buy a share of the property with a proportional rent payable on the remaining share to the social landlord.
A further 47 sales (16%) were via shared equity schemes including Home Buy schemes which allow those who are unable to meet their housing needs in the market to buy a home. Where the scheme is available the social landlord provides an equity loan of between 30% and 50% of the property purchase price. The loan can be repaid at any time but must be repaid when the house is sold.
The intermediate rented properties sales decreased considerably from 58 sales in 2022-23 to 10 in 2023-24.
Figure 3: Percentage of sales by type, 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024
Description of Figure 3: A donut chart showing that over three quarters of all sales were voluntary and Low Cost Home Ownership sales.
Source: Social landlord housing sales from local authorities and RSLs
Sales by local authority
The local authorities with the highest number of all sales during 2023-24 were Caerphilly (38 dwellings), Rhondda Cynon Taf (33 dwellings), Newport (33 dwellings), Swansea (32 dwellings) and Cardiff (31 dwellings).
The local authorities with the lowest number of sales were Blaenau Gwent (1 dwelling), Merthyr Tydfil (1 dwelling), Isle of Anglesey (2 dwellings) and Wrexham (3 dwellings).
Figure 4: Number of social landlord housing sales by type of sale and by local authority area, 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024
Description of Figure 4: Bar chart showing that the majority of sales came from a small number of local authorities.
Source: Social landlord housing sales from local authorities and RSLs
Total social landlord housing sales by provider and sale type (StatsWales)
A single sale of statutory sales via the Right to Buy scheme was recorded in Wrexham in 2023-24. This sale took longer than expected to complete due to the COVID-19 pandemic. There were no statutory sales recorded by RSLs.
Sales by landlord type
Prior to 2008-09, the majority of social landlord housing sales were of local authority dwellings.
The large-scale voluntary transfers of stock from local authorities to RSLs since 2007-08 however has increased the amount of housing owned and managed by RSLs and resulted in a sharp decline in local authority sales. Further information is provided in the accompanying quality report.
During 2023-24, RSL sales accounted for 98% of all sales (285 dwellings), with the remaining 2% local authority sales (7 dwellings)
45% of all sales in 2023-24 were of social housing, with the remaining sales coming from non-social housing. The number of social housing sales from RSL dwellings were higher at 129, compared with 1 sale from local authority dwellings. The proportion of sales which were of social housing dwellings was also higher for RSLs (45%) than for local authorities (17%).
Figure 5: Number of RSL sales by type of sale, 1 April 2005 to 31 March 2024 [Note 1] [Note 2]
Description of Figure 5: A bar chart showing that the total number of RSL dwellings has fluctuated since 2005-06, with the majority of sales being non-statutory.
Source: Social landlord housing sales from local authorities and RSLs
[Note 1] Please see the quality report for further details on the large scale voluntary transfer of stock and for changes to definitions from 2013-14 onwards.
[Note 2] Data for 2019-20 was not collected due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Total social landlord housing sales by provider and sale type (StatsWales)
The number of statutory sales of RSL dwellings had been generally increasing each year since 2009-10 to 2017-18, before markedly increasing in 2018-19. However, since 2018-19 the number of statutory sales of RSL dwellings has drastically decreased in line with the final abolition of the Right to Buy and Right to Acquire schemes in January 2019. There haven’t been any statutory sales of RSL dwellings since 2021-22.
Figure 6: Number of local authority sales by type of sale, 1 April 2005 to 31 March 2024 [Note 1] [Note 2]
Description of Figure 6: A bar chart showing a drastic decrease in local authority sales between 2005-06 and 2008-09. This is followed by a period of small fluctuations between 2009-10 and 2018-19 before decreasing each year to 2023-24.
Source: Social landlord housing sales from local authorities and RSLs
[Note 1] Please see the quality report for further details on the large scale voluntary transfer of stock and for changes to definitions from 2013-14 onwards.
[Note 2] Data for 2019-20 was not collected due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Total social landlord housing sales by provider and sale type (StatsWales)
In contrast to RSLs, there were 7 local authority sales in 2023-24, 1 of which was a statutory sale.
Over the five years between 2000-01 and 2004-05, there was an annual average of around 4,500 Right to Buy sales of local authority dwellings, dropping to around 1,500 a year during 2005-06 and 2006-07. Over the period from 2007-08 to 2010-11, many local authorities transferred their stock to RSLs and the number of local authority sales through Right to Buy decreased substantially, dropping to under 200 sales per year from 2008-09 onwards.
Glossary
This release analyses data on all social landlord housing sales. The types of social landlord housing covered are outlined below.
Social housing
This includes “stock at social rents” (i.e., general needs and sheltered housing), extra care, other supported housing and non-self-contained housing units
Other (non-social housing)
This includes housing let at market rents, shared equity (including Homebuy), low-cost home ownership, shared ownership, rent to own, flexible tenure for the elderly, investment properties and other non-social housing such as residential care and nursing homes.
Statutory sales
Statutory sales include all social rented dwellings sold to tenants through the Right to Buy or Right to Acquire schemes.
Non-statutory sales
Non-statutory sales include ‘Voluntary’ and ‘Other’ sales. Voluntary sales include the sale of property which may be surplus to requirements due to low demand or is uneconomic to repair. ‘Other’ sales - these include those sold via shared equity (including Homebuy), low-cost home ownership and other shared ownership, rent to own and flexible tenure for the elderly schemes. They also include the sale of intermediate rented properties (including Rent First), other intermediate tenure dwellings such as residential and nursing homes and properties at market rent and other investment properties.
Right to Buy
The Right to Buy (RTB) scheme was introduced by the 1980 Housing Act and came into effect in October 1980. The RTB scheme allowed qualifying tenants of local authorities and RSLs to purchase the home they rented from the social landlord at discounted prices, according to the length of their tenancy. RTB discounts ranged from 32% to 70% of the market value, and prior to 14 July 2015 up to a maximum discount of £16,000, depending on the type of property, the residential area and time spent as a tenant of social housing. RTB did not apply to certain types of property and restrictions to subsequent sales applied in rural areas. This Scheme ended in January 2019
Right to Acquire
The Right to Acquire (RTA) scheme was introduced by the 1996 Housing Act and came into effect from 1 April 1997. This scheme only applied to tenants of registered social landlords. The Right to Acquire scheme gave qualifying tenants of RSLs a right to purchase their home, if the property was provided using Social Housing Grant or was transferred from a local authority on or after 1 April 1997, subject to specified exceptions. Qualifying tenants were entitled, prior to 14 July 2015, to a discount of 25% of the value of the property, up to a maximum of £16,000.
Following the public consultation on the future of the Right to Buy and the Right to Acquire, from 14 July 2015 onwards, the maximum discount available in relation to Right to Buy and Right to Acquire properties changed from £16,000 to £8,000. The change was made by the Housing (Right to Buy and Right to Acquire) (Limits on Discount) (Amendment) (Wales) Order 2015. This Order amended the Housing (Right to Acquire) (Discount) (Wales) Order 1997 and the Housing (Right to Buy) (Limits on Discount) (Wales) Order 1999 to reduce the discount available, in relation to both Right to Acquire and Right to Buy, to £8,000 from £16,000. Social landlords needed to ensure any applications served on them before 14 July 2015 were subject to a maximum discount of £16,000, but any applications served on them on or after 14 July 2015 were subject to a maximum discount of £8,000. This scheme ended in January 2019.
Voluntary sales
This includes the outright sale of property; for example, if the property is surplus to requirements due to low demand or is uneconomic to repair. They will include any sales to non-registered RSLs or the private sector and can be sales of both social and non-social dwellings.
Shared ownership
This scheme allows qualifying purchasers to buy a share of the property value with a proportional rent payable on the remaining share to the RSL.
Rent to Own - Wales
Homebuy
The Homebuy scheme is administered by housing associations and helps people who are unable to meet their housing needs in the market to buy a suitable home. Where the scheme is available, the housing association provides an equity loan of between 30% and 50% of the property purchase price (although percentages may vary). When the loan is repaid, the amount repayable will be the same agreed percentage of the value of the property at the time. The loan can be repaid at any time, but must be repaid when the property is sold.
There are two ways that Homebuy loans are provided:
Housing associations can choose to sell any property in its ownership on Homebuy equity sharing terms. This will include sales of properties under ‘neutral tenure’ principles where newbuild properties are let or sold according to the need of the applicant.
‘Do-it-Yourself’ or ‘DIY’ Homebuy – eligible purchasers can choose a qualifying property from the open market and the RSL provides an equity loan for a percentage of the purchase price.
Extra care housing
Extra care sheltered housing’ or ‘assisted living housing’ offer a higher level of care than ‘sheltered housing’. The services offered vary between schemes, but meals, help with domestic tasks and some personal care are often provided. ‘Close care housing’ is usually located in the grounds of a care home, with staff from the home providing extra care and assistance.
Flexible tenure for the elderly
Includes specific housing schemes developed in 1990s to provide flexible tenure options for older people in housing schemes designed specifically for their needs.
Intermediate rent (including Rent First)
The unit is owned by the social landlord and the rent is set above the social level but below market level. They can be Welsh Government grant funded or landlord funded.
Low-cost home ownership
This schemed allows qualifying purchasers to buy a share of the property with a proportional rent payable on the remaining share to the social landlord.
Registered Social Landlords (RSLs)
RSLs are organisations that provide and manage properties for people who would otherwise be unable to afford to rent or buy privately. Registered social landlord (RSL) is the technical name for housing associations that are registered with the Welsh Government and are regulated to maintain a good standard of management.
Stock at social rents
These are self-contained wholly owned and managed by social landlords (local authorities and registered social landlords) and fall within the scope of the Welsh Government’s policy for social housing rents.
Rent First
Rent First is a subsidised intermediate rent solution providing people with a mid-market rental housing solution as well as potentially assisting them in the outright purchase of their home in the future. Rent First aims to help local authorities and housing associations meet their housing objectives. These include creating mixed income developments and communities which can access affordable properties to buy or rent.
Quality and methodology information
Detailed information on data quality and methodology can be found in the quality report.
Official statistics status
All official statistics should show the standards of the Code of Practice for Statistics.
These are accredited official statistics. They were independently reviewed by the Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR) in July 2012. They comply with the standards of trustworthiness, quality and value in the Code of Practice for Statistics.
It is Welsh Government’s responsibility to maintain compliance with the standards expected of accreditation. If we become concerned about whether these statistics are still meeting the appropriate standards, we will discuss any concerns with OSR promptly. Accreditation can be cancelled or suspended at any point when the highest standards are not maintained, and reinstated when standards are restored.
Accredited official statistics are called National Statistics in the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007.
Statement of compliance with the Code of Practice for Statistics
Our statistical practice is regulated by the OSR. OSR sets the standards of trustworthiness, quality and value in the Code of Practice for Statistics that all producers of official statistics should adhere to.
All of our statistics are produced and published in accordance with a number of statements and protocols to enhance trustworthiness, quality and value. These are set out in the Welsh Government’s Statement of Compliance.
These accredited official statistics (OSR) demonstrate the standards expected around trustworthiness, quality and public value in the following ways.
Trustworthiness
This data is collected directly from local authorities and Registered Social Landlords who have all the records of sales during the year.
Quality
The published figures provided are compiled by professional analysts using the latest available data and applying methods using their professional judgement and analytical skillset. Statistics published by Welsh Government adhere to the Statistical Quality Management Strategy which supplements the Quality pillar of the Code of Practice for Statistics and the European Statistical System principles of quality for statistical outputs.
Data for the Welsh Government Social Landlord Housing Sales Collection is collected by Welsh Government directly from local authorities and Registered Social Landlords. Both complete data collection forms based on data stored on their respective IT systems and return the completed forms to Welsh Government via its secure web data transfer system.
Validation checks are performed by Welsh Government statisticians and queries referred to local authorities and Registered Social Landlords where necessary. The statistical release is then drafted, signed off by senior statisticians and published in line with the statement on confidentiality and data access which is informed by the trustworthiness pillar contained in the Code of Practice for Statistics.
Value
The purpose of the statistical release is to provide evidence about the social housing landscape across Wales in terms of sales of stock, for policy development, Ministerial advice and decision making and to inform the wider public. This statistical release also supports the Welsh Government’s long-term plan for homelessness: Homelessness strategy and the development of legislation in line with the Programme for Government commitment to reform housing law in relation to homelessness services.
You are welcome to contact us directly with any comments about how we meet these standards. Alternatively, you can contact OSR by emailing regulation@statistics.gov.uk or via the OSR website.
Well-being of Future Generations Act (WFG)
The Well-being of Future Generations Act 2015 is about improving the social, economic, environmental and cultural wellbeing of Wales. The Act puts in place seven wellbeing goals for Wales. These are for a more equal, prosperous, resilient, healthier and globally responsible Wales, with cohesive communities and a vibrant culture and thriving Welsh language. Under section (10)(1) of the Act, the Welsh Ministers must (a) publish indicators (“national indicators”) that must be applied for the purpose of measuring progress towards the achievement of the wellbeing goals, and (b) lay a copy of the national indicators before Senedd Cymru. Under section 10(8) of the Well-being of Future Generations Act, where the Welsh Ministers revise the national indicators, they must as soon as reasonably practicable (a) publish the indicators as revised and (b) lay a copy of them before the Senedd. These national indicators were laid before the Senedd in 2021. The indicators laid on 14 December 2021 replace the set laid on 16 March 2016.
Information on the indicators, along with narratives for each of the wellbeing goals and associated technical information is available in the Well-being of Wales report.
Further information on the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015.
The statistics included in this release could also provide supporting narrative to the national indicators and be used by public services boards in relation to their local wellbeing assessments and local wellbeing plans.
