In a survey of more than 2,000 private renters in England, 76% said they would like to buy their own home, while 44% expected to rent for the rest of their lives, according to TDS Charitable Foundation research reported by Landlord Today on 2 October 2026. The figures describe different things: an aspiration to own and an expectation about future renting. They do not establish what respondents will eventually do.
What the survey figures say
Landlord Today reported that the TDS Charitable Foundation survey covered more than 2,000 private renters in England. The coverage gives these headline findings:
- 76% would like to buy their own home. This is a stated aspiration, not a prediction that respondents will buy.
- 44% expect to rent for the rest of their lives. This is respondents’ reported expectation, not a measured forecast of their eventual tenure.
- 51% would like to move out of their current property but feel unable to do so.
- 47% said finding a suitable property was difficult during their last search.
- 30% said they would prefer to live in social housing, compared with 21% the previous year. The original methodology is not available in the reporting, so the year-on-year figures cannot be assumed to be directly comparable.
The results do not show how many people who want to buy are also among those who expect to rent for life, or who feel unable to move. The report as covered does not provide those cross-tabulations.
Wanting to buy and expecting to rent are not contradictory
A person can hope to become a homeowner while believing that renting is what their circumstances will require. The survey’s two headline percentages capture that distinction between preference and expectation; they do not explain why any respondent holds either view.
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The available account does not include the original questionnaire, field dates, sample design or weighting. The findings should therefore be attributed to the TDS Charitable Foundation survey as reported by Landlord Today, rather than described as nationally representative or as the exact wording of survey questions.
Renting is a long-term reality for many respondents
Dr Jennifer Harris, Head of Policy, Research and Social Impact at The Dispute Service (TDS) Group, said: “Our research highlights just how much the private rented sector has changed. What was once a sector associated particularly with students and younger people is now home to a much wider range of households, many of whom expect to remain renters for the long term. It is important that housing policy keeps pace with that changing reality.”
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Separately, Landlord Today reported a current average private-sector tenancy length of 4.7 years, almost a year longer than a decade earlier. That is contextual reporting, not an individual forecast or a survey response; the coverage does not establish that the estimate comes from the TDS survey.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the findings can—and cannot—tell renters
The results point to a reported gap between some renters’ desire to own and their expectations for the future, alongside difficulty finding suitable homes and perceived limits on moving. They do not identify the causes of those experiences or establish that a particular barrier leads to lifetime renting. Harris was also quoted by Landlord Today describing lack of choice as the clearest message and arguing for more options across ownership, private renting and social housing; that is her interpretation, not a conclusion independently demonstrated by the figures.
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Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →For an individual renter, the survey cannot determine whether buying is feasible or whether a move is out of reach. Those decisions depend on personal finances, housing needs and available options—details this coverage does not report.
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