Why this matters to agents
The new Survey will collect information on people’s experiences in different tenures, and gather evidence on housing costs, conditions, satisfaction, and much more.
This is important because, currently, Wales doesn’t have a regular national housing survey. That means the Welsh Government often relies on outdated or incomplete information when designing housing policy. With so many proposed changes to renting and housing legislation in Wales, we believe it is vital that these decisions are based on real-world evidence.
We’ve seen the benefits of this approach elsewhere. In England, the English Housing Survey has played a key role in shaping more targeted and effective housing policies.
Supporting informed decision-making
This move aligns with our wider campaigning for more evidence-based policymaking. We have previously warned the UK, Welsh, and other devolved governments that rent controls and other restrictive measures are often introduced without understanding the full impact on landlords, agents, and tenants. We have urged the Welsh Government to avoid rent controls and instead focus on making the sector more attractive for landlords to invest in.
Better data will help with that. It will allow policymakers to track trends, measure the success of interventions, and understand the needs of renters and homeowners. It also means Propertymark can have more constructive conversations with decision-makers, grounded in facts.
What will be included?
Bryant stated that the Survey will be broadly comparable to the English Housing Survey and have two parts: a detailed social survey to gather household information required for fuel poverty analysis (such as income), as well as housing experiences and views; and a physical home inspection carried out by a qualified surveyor to gather information on the fabric and condition of the home.
This approach will provide a wider breadth of evidence to more effectively inform policy development and implementation, as well as providing detailed information on fuel poverty, energy performance of homes and housing quality across all tenures, it will also enable the gathering of evidence to better support affordable housing, second homes and homelessness policies.
Next steps
The new Welsh Housing Survey will be developed in collaboration with stakeholders, and the Welsh Government has said that this will include discussions on how to capture the right data and how often the survey should run. We will engage in this process to ensure the voice of the property sector is heard loud and clear.
This is a win for everyone involved in housing in Wales and we look forward to working with Ministers to shape a survey that helps build better homes, stronger communities, and a more balanced housing market.
It is positive news that the Welsh Government has listened to Propertymark and others and will commission a Welsh Housing Survey. Accurate data, statistics, and evidence are vital for good policymaking.
Housing plays a vital role in people’s lives and property standards, the role of agents and the actions of landlords and tenants, as well as home buyers and sellers, needs to be better captured in order to ensure policymakers have an accurate view of the industry and ultimately make the right decisions for Wales.
