The Welsh government has committed to undertake a Welsh Housing Survey for 2026–27 in a move that has been broadly welcomed by the housing industry.
In a statement, Jayne Bryant, cabinet secretary for housing and local government, said: “I am pleased to update Members of the Senedd that I have just approved a business case to undertake a Welsh Housing Survey in 2027-28.
“The last survey – a national housing conditions survey, was delivered in 2017-18 and I know many stakeholders, including members of the Housing and Local Government Committee, have been calling for a further survey to provide an updated evidence base. Whilst administrative data such as Energy Performance Certificate and Council tax data are increasingly being used for analytical purposes, this data alone is not currently able to meet our evidence requirements, and a periodic housing survey is still required
“Following development of a detailed Business Justification Case, that assessed available options for delivering a survey, I have decided to commission a full Welsh Housing Survey. This will be more detailed than the survey delivered in 2017-18 and is broadly comparable to the English Housing Survey. It will comprise 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.
“I believe this approach will provide a wider breadth of evidence to more effectively inform policy development and implementation than a housing conditions survey alone. 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.
“Following this decision, my officials through engagement with key stakeholders, will develop a detailed tender specification so that a procurement exercise can commence by the end of 2025-26. This will enable field work to be carried out in 2027-28, with headline results available from 2028-29, and more detailed findings from 2029-30.
“I will be happy to keep members of the Senedd updated on this work as it progresses.”
The National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) is among those that has welcomed the Welsh government’s announcement commitment, describing as a positive step towards recognising the importance of evidence-led policymaking.
Ben Beadle, chief executive of the N RLA, said: “Good policy starts with good evidence, and this survey has the potential to provide vital insights into housing needs and standards across Wales.
“However, to be truly effective, this must mark the beginning of a consistent, long-term programme of data collection that ensures policymakers can make better-informed decisions that benefit landlords, tenants, and communities alike.”
Timothy Douglas, head of policy and campaigns at Propertymark, added: “Housing plays a vital role in people’s lives and property standards and 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.”
