Older and disabled renters in the private rented sector (PRS) are struggling to find suitable homes, with a shortage of bungalows to rent across the UK, according to Propertymark.
Research found almost 867,000 households headed by people aged 55 or over now rent privately.
Since 2010/11, the number of households aged 55 and above renting has gone up by 70%.
Nearly half of private renters aged 65 or over are in the lowest fifth of all household incomes.
Propertymark data showed the number of privately rented bungalows dropped by nearly 5% year on year, which is almost 1,000 fewer homes.
From April 2024 to April 2025, there were 19,161 bungalows to rent, down from 20,138 in the previous year.
Regional figures in April 2025 showed the West Midlands had 110 bungalows available to rent, Scotland had 66, and Northern Ireland had 35.
By comparison, the East of England had 298 and the South East had 284.
The South West, including popular retirement spots like Cornwall and Devon, had fewer accessible homes.
Between January and April 2025, Cornwall had only 114 bungalows for rent in the PRS, while Nottingham in the East Midlands had 164.
Looking at cities, areas like Inner London and Manchester saw small increases but others saw sharp drops.
Newcastle was down 27.7% and Cardiff fell 19.9%, and Brighton, Sheffield, Glasgow and Lincoln also saw double-digit falls.
Nathan Emerson, CEO at Propertymark, said: “The concern surrounding the lack of available homes to rent in comparison to growing demand from tenants is long-standing and especially affects renters on a lower income, the older population and those with disabilities.
“We can see that year on year, across the board, there has been a significant downturn in the number of bungalows available to rent, which are crucial in the adaptation for those with disabilities and older renters.
“The private rented sector plays an important role in housing the nation and without a significant increase in the number of homes of all types to rent, rent levels will remain higher and, in turn, put financial pressure on those it is designed to help.”
Emerson added: “We urgently need the attention of all Governments to ensure planning policy and housing strategies recognise housing needs across the country and older people, whether renting or right-sizing, can access suitable housing.”
