The Taskforce published its final report in November 2024, which supported many Propertymark recommendations. When we met the Taskforce Chair, Professor Julienne Meyer, and responded to the consultation, our proposals to enhance the choice, quality, and security of housing for senior citizens were included.
We’ve called for an independent Older People’s Commissioner for England to hold policymakers to account. That focus on accountability remains relevant: our calls for accessible homes, effective local planning, and support for landlords need to translate into practical choices for older people. Agents’ knowledge of local demand and gaps in supply should help shape that work.
More accessible homes
The UK Government response highlights planning requirements for councils to identify sites for older people’s housing. Local plans must set accessibility requirements, with at least 40% of homes on major developments meeting M4(2) accessibility standards or higher where needed.
This supports our call for local housing plans to address the needs of an ageing population. However, delivery must include homes for private renters, alongside owner-occupied and social housing.
We have highlighted shortages of bungalows, ground-floor flats and homes with step-free access. Incentives for developers, more adaptable layouts and planning policies that support single-storey homes remain central to increasing choice. Older people need options that allow them to stay close to family, services, and established support networks.
Helping people adapt their homes
The UK Government points to £723 million in Disabled Facilities Grant funding for 2026–27 and the free Adapt My Home advice website as examples of action it is already taking.
The grant must be promoted nationally to private landlords, and funding needs to be matched by clear information about how to access it. Councils should work with local agents and landlords to explain how adaptations can help tenants remain independent and make properties suitable for changing needs.
Accessibility must also go hand in hand with warmth and affordable running costs. Our previous work has highlighted older people’s exposure to hard-to-heat homes and the need for funding to improve existing properties.
Clearer information and fairer costs
Ministers plan research into retirement housing resale values and link stronger consumer protection to leasehold and commonhold reform. Proposed property information reforms would help buyers assess accessibility and costs earlier. New Older Persons Shared Ownership homes funded through the Social and Affordable Homes Programme face tighter expectations on fees and optional services.
These priorities underline the value of clear advice throughout a move. The needs of older people must be propertly considered as buying and selling becomes more digital, particularly taking into account people who may not have not moved for many years.
Our coverage of the growing older buyer market has also encouraged agents to provide clear information about layout, accessibility, running costs, transport and nearby services. Understanding why someone wants to move is essential: a smaller property alone may not meet their needs.
Affordability must remain a priority
Our longstanding position is that suitable homes must also be within reach of people on lower incomes. We have called for tax policies that help people move into more appropriate homes and make better use of existing housing stock.
For private renters, adequate housing support is equally important. Ahead of the October Budget, we repeated our call for Local Housing Allowance to cover at least the cheapest 30% of local rents, with annual increases.
