Across the UK, many older people are struggling with poor‑quality homes, rising costs, and insecure renting. Charities across the sector are speaking up, calling for stronger protections and meaningful action. Here’s a quick look at what’s happening, why it matters, and how organisations are pushing for change.
Shining a Light on Poor‑Quality Housing
The Centre for Ageing Better has launched its Safe Homes Now campaign, highlighting just how many people are living in homes that are cold, damp, unsafe, or simply not fit for purpose. They’re urging the government to:
- Create a national strategy to tackle poor‑quality housing across all types of tenures
- Commit to halving the number of non‑decent homes over the next ten years
This campaign builds on their Good Home Inquiry, which heard from over 1,000 people and explored the scale of England’s housing problems. One key area they welcome in the government’s current plans is the introduction of a minimum standard for damp and mould—issues that affect older people and low‑income households at significantly higher rates.
Energy Efficiency: A Missed Opportunity for Older Renters
Independent Age is also pushing for better support in the private rented sector. While they welcome the government’s ambition to raise Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES), they’ve highlighted a major gap:
there’s no guidance for tenants, including older private renters, on what these changes mean and how they can benefit.
Energy efficiency isn’t a “nice to have”—for many people in later life, it can determine whether they can afford to heat their homes safely.
Rising Rent, Rising Risk of Homelessness
New figures show a worrying trend: 15,690 older households were at risk of homelessness in the year leading up to September 2025—a 79% increase over five years.
The upcoming Renters’ Rights Act, which will ban “No Fault” evictions, is a positive step. But the deeper issue of affordability remains. Nearly 3 in 5 older renters (57%) say their rent has increased in the last year, and many are having to cut back on essentials to fill the gap left by inadequate Housing Benefit.
Some older renters report washing only once a week, skipping meals, or heating just one room.
Water Bills: A Growing Pressure
From 6 March, reforms to the WaterSure scheme mean more low‑income households— including older people receiving Attendance Allowance—will have their bills capped. This is encouraging, but for many it won’t go far enough.
With water bills continuing to rise, older people on low incomes are already cutting back on their usage, sometimes to levels that affect their health. That’s why Independent Age is calling for a national water social tariff to give fair, consistent support and help end the postcode lottery that currently exists.
Why This Matters
Safe, warm, affordable housing is essential to ageing well. Yet thousands of people in later life are being let down by rising costs, poor conditions, and patchy protections. It’s why the work of charities in the older people’s sector is so vital—raising awareness and ensuring the voices of older renters are heard.
Photo by Matt Bennett on Unsplash
