Tenure type of the Household

Dataset: Family Resources Survey (Adult, Child, Individual, Family, (Benefit Unit), Household, Household Food Security)

Field: Tenure type of the Household

Description

Tenure type of the household, this is the basis on which the individual in a household or a family (benefit unit) is resident in their dwelling, as reported by FRS respondents.

Classification

Applicable to: all individuals.

Social renting: Includes all cases where the local authority is the landlord and all housing associations, including New Town Development Corporations and the Scottish Special Housing Association except where accommodation is part of a job.
Private renting: All cases where the property is rented from a private landlord, including rent-free. Rent-free accommodation is any accommodation provided free by an employer or by an organisation to a self-employed respondent, provided that the normal activities of the tenant are to further the cause of the organisation (e.g. Church of England clergy). Accommodation is not rent-free if anyone, apart from an employer or organisation, is paying a rent or mortgage on a property on behalf of the respondent.
Owned outright: Households who have paid off any mortgage or loan used to purchase the property. These households may have other loans secured on their property for which information is collected on the FRS. However, these payments are excluded from housing costs.
Buying with a mortgage: Includes local authority and housing association part-own/part-rent, and co- and shared ownership arrangements.

Total number of categories: 4

Quality Statement

Prior to 2008 to 2009, the "social rented sector" was split into "Rented from Council" and "Rented from a Housing Association" groups. This division was removed combining the categories because it was found to be unreliable. Comparison with administrative data showed that a significant number of housing association tenants wrongly reported that they were council tenants. For instance, where their home used to be owned by the council and although ownership has now transferred to a housing association, the tenant may still think that their landlord is the council (local authority).

Also in 2008 to 2009, a split between furnished and unfurnished private renting was removed.

Further information can be found in the FRS Background Note and Methodology here.