A new study reveals that only 7% of UK homes have basic accessibility features, leaving millions of disabled people struggling to find suitable rental properties. Conducted by stairlift and home lift company Stannah, the research analysed Zoopla listings in the UK’s 20 largest cities, using keywords such as “step-free access”, “wet room”, and “level access” to assess the availability of inclusive design features. The findings expose a critical shortage of accessible rental homes, with significant implications for disabled house hunters.

Key findings from the Stannah study

• London leads with the highest number of accessible rental properties, yet only 420 out of 43,518 (1%) meet basic accessibility criteria.
• Manchester ranks second with 16 accessible properties (0.9%) out of 1,718, followed by Nottingham with 15 (1%) out of 1,646.
• Glasgow, Bradford, Newcastle, and Southampton have zero properties listed with step-free access, wet rooms, or level access.
• Across the 20 cities, only 0.3% of properties on average feature step-free access, 0.4% have wet rooms, and 0.3% offer level access.

The data highlights a profound gap in the UK housing market. London, despite topping the list, has just 129 properties with step-free access (0.3%), 158 with wet rooms (0.4%), and 133 with level access (0.3%) out of 43,518 rentals. This translates to a mere 0.00002 accessible properties per resident. Manchester follows with three step-free access properties (0.17%) and 10 wet rooms (0.58%), while Nottingham has 13 wet rooms (0.8%) but only two level-access properties (0.12%).

Cities ranked by accessibility features

• Step-free access: Leeds (0.18%), Manchester (0.17%), and Bristol (0.17%) rank highest, but 12 cities, including Glasgow and Liverpool, have none.
• Wet rooms: Stoke-on-Trent (1%), Nottingham (0.8%), and Portsmouth (0.8%) lead, with Glasgow, Bradford, Newcastle, and Southampton reporting zero.
• Level access: London (0.3%), Derby (0.3%), and Manchester (0.17%) top the list, while 14 cities, including Bristol and Sheffield, have no properties meeting this criterion.

The absence of accessible features in major cities like Glasgow, Bradford, Newcastle, and Southampton underscores the crisis. Even in cities with some accessible properties, the percentages remain minuscule, making it nearly impossible for disabled individuals to find suitable homes without significant adaptations.

Vaila Morrison, an inclusive design expert speaking to Stannah, highlighted the severity of the issue: “The data shows that, despite major cities displaying some rental properties available that may be suitable for disabled people, the number is nowhere near where it should be. It is likely that there are more rental properties available in these cities with accessible features than the data suggests, which may be due to landlords’ lack of knowledge on what information is important to highlight for people with access needs. More awareness is needed among landlords on what disabled and older house-hunters search for in a property and include relevant keywords such as ‘wheelchair accessible parking’, ‘step-free access’, ‘wet room’ and ‘level access’. For a disabled person living in a home that is not suitably adapted to their needs, the consequences could be severe. We still have a long way to go before accessible housing becomes the norm throughout the property market.”

The Centre for Ageing Better reports that only 13% of homes in England meet four basic accessibility criteria, leaving nearly 13 million people in unsuitable housing. Government plans to raise accessibility standards for new homes, announced in 2022, aim to address this, but progress remains slow. Campaigners warn that at current construction rates, meeting demand could take 44 years. For disabled renters, the lack of step-free access, wet rooms, or level access can mean reduced independence, increased safety risks, or costly adaptations.