Tenants fear landlord barriers to home adaptations

More than a third of tenants would worry about securing their landlord’s permission if their home needed adapting to support a loved one, research has found.

The concern comes before any request has been refused and the survey measures what both private and social renters fear might stand in their way.

Habinteg Housing Association found that 38% of renters ranked obtaining permission from their landlord or housing provider among their three main concerns about adaptations.

Now, the association is urging private landlords to follow the National Residential Landlords Association’s best practice guidance on handling such requests.

Cost and practical concerns

Habinteg’s chief executive, Martin Warhurst, said: “The lack of accessible homes causes real harm and hardship to countless households, as well as driving costs to public services.”

The findings appear in the association’s report, The adaptability gap: Public perceptions of UK homes in 2026.

Across all respondents, 46% placed the cost of adaptations among their top three concerns, while 36% questioned whether their property could accommodate the changes.

Meanwhile, 28% worried about how the work would be funded, with the same proportion concerned about whether adaptations would continue to meet the person’s needs over time.

Hospital delays and care costs

The research also found that 21% of adults said they or a family member had experienced a delayed hospital discharge or a move into residential care because their home could not meet their accessibility needs.

Using the survey findings, Habinteg calculated potential hospital costs of £3.9bn, assuming each delayed discharge involved three additional nights.

A separate calculation put residential care costs at £11.2bn, assuming stays of four weeks.

Planning for changing needs

When choosing their next home, 25% of respondents said accessibility and adaptability would be a high or top priority compared with 17% who said this influenced their previous home choice.

Habinteg is calling on councils to provide a single point of access for advice on adaptations, funding and support.

It is wants clearer information about available assistance and conversations about housing suitability to start before changing needs become an emergency.