England had 1% more registered social housing units at the end of March than a year earlier, while social-rent supply fell and average general-needs social rents rose 3.2%, official data show.
The Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) published Accredited Official Statistics on Oct. 27, covering stock and rents as of March 31, 2026. Providers held 4.6 million units: private registered providers accounted for three million, and local authorities held 1.6 million.
Affordable Rent stock grew by 24,334 units during the year, while low-cost home ownership increased by 13,390. Social-rent units declined. RSH pointed to Right to Buy sales and other schemes as the likely main explanation for the drop in local-authority social-rent stock.
Private registered providers accounted for 88% of the Affordable Rent increase and 97% of the low-cost home ownership gain. General-needs low-cost rental units, including social rent and Affordable Rent, made up 82% of the total, or 3.8 million units.
The weekly net rent average for general-needs social rent was £3.63 higher in 2026 than in 2025, a 3.2% increase. RSH put the average for private providers at £121.72 a week. Regional averages ranged from £100.31 in the North East to £154.73 in London, and local-authority rents were lower on average than private-provider rents.
The 3.2% change was above the 2.7% annual rent-increase limit for 2025/26. RSH said the average can shift as the homes counted change, exceptions are applied and rents are reset under the formula when units are re-let.
RSH collects annual information from private providers and local authorities through the Statistical Data Return and Local Authority Data Return. The returns cover stock size, type, location and rents and support the regulator’s oversight of the sector.
Will Perry, RSH’s director of strategy, said the analysis provides “a vital picture” of the sector’s resilience and challenges.
