Young people make up the vast majority of residents living in houses of multiple occupation (HMOs) in Wales, according to a new analysis of Census 2021 data.
The study, produced by ADR Wales Health and Care researcher Rhodri Johnson, identified 6,914 HMO dwellings* in Wales containing 7,117 households.** Around 63% were classified as small HMOs (3-4 unrelated tenants), while 37% were large HMOs (5+ unrelated tenants), including purpose-built student accommodation.
The research found that 81% of HMO residents were aged between 16 and 24, while 89% were aged 16 to 30.
Students accounted for 55% of residents, followed by people in work at 32%. Cardiff had the largest HMO population, with 16,906 residents, followed by Swansea with 6,106 and Gwynedd with 2,135. Overall, 63% of HMO residents lived in South-East Wales, compared with 21% in South-West Wales.
The study also highlighted the diverse characteristics of people living in HMOs.
Males accounted for 53.7% of residents and females 46.3%, while 82.5% of residents identified as White, 8.2% as Asian, 3.3% as Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups and 3.2% as Black. Most residents were single, while 90% reported being in good or very good health.
The analysis was undertaken using Census 2021 data linked with administrative records in the Secure Anonymised Information Linkage (SAIL) Databank. Researchers developed a rule-based method to identify and classify HMOs before examining residents’ demographic, housing, economic and health characteristics.
The findings were used to support the Welsh Government’s equality and socio-economic impact assessments for proposed Building Safety (Wales) legislation, providing evidence about the populations potentially affected by building safety reforms.
*The Census 2021 classification defines an HMO as a dwelling where unrelated tenants rent their accommodation from a private landlord, with at least three unrelated individuals forming more than one household and sharing toilet, bathroom or kitchen facilities with other tenants.
**A household is defined as one person living alone, or a group of people (not necessarily related) living at the same address who share cooking facilities and a living room, sitting room or dining area.