Why are so many older Wolverhampton residents still renting?

Before we answer that, let’s be clear: this isn't just a 50-something problem.

Would it surprise you to know that 1,733 households in Wolverhampton, aged 65 and over, are still privately renting and spend £17.2 million a year on rent?

For many, it started decades ago.

Some never managed to pull together a deposit when house prices were rising. Others didn't earn enough to qualify for a mortgage. Some may have experienced divorce or life events that pulled the financial rug from under them. The dream of social housing faded when council homes were sold off in the 1980s, and waiting lists now stretch for years.

Owning never happened.

And now it's almost certainly too late.

Is this just a Wolverhampton issue?

No. It's a national one. Wolverhampton's demographics with its ageing population, and reliance on private rentals without large scale local authority housing don’t help matters.

Renting is common in countries like Germany and the Netherlands, but retirement looks different there. Families often cascade wealth down through generations, and many renters in their 50s and 60s use their inheritance to eventually buy. That's not the norm here—not yet.

A fork in the road for younger generations?

Ironically, Wolverhampton's younger residents, those in their 30s and 40s, may find themselves in a stronger long-term position. Many are likely to inherit equity from their older OAP homeowner parents. When that wealth is passed down in the coming decades, some will invest in property, giving them the security their parents never had.

But for now, the current crop of ‘rentirees’ are heading into their later years with no safety net, and very little political attention.

What does this mean for Wolverhampton landlords?

If you are a buy-to-let landlord in Wolverhampton, this is not a doom story. It’s a demographic opportunity.

This group of older Wolverhampton renters isn’t going anywhere. They are long-term tenants. They want stability. They take care of their homes. And if treated fairly, they are more likely to stay for years.

But they also have limited means. As a landlord, it's also worth thinking long-term, offering fair rents, supporting stability, and recognising that older tenants are not high-risk. They are the backbone of many portfolios.

At the same time, demand for certain types of homes, particularly bungalows, will continue to rise. Yet builders aren’t constructing them. Why? Because bungalows require more land, and land equals higher costs. A three-bedroom house can be stacked upwards. A bungalow cannot.

This imbalance between demand and supply will only further drive prices (and rents). So, landlords holding bungalows in Wolverhampton are in a strong position.

‘Rentirement’: Freedom or Fragility?

There’s another side to the ‘rentirement’ coin that deserves mentioning. For some Wolverhampton retirees, renting offers flexibility. No home repairs, no responsibility for roof leaks or boilers breaking. The option to move closer to family or try a new area.

Some retirees choose to rent, sell their property, and unlock capital to enjoy retirement. But they are the exception, not the rule. The majority of Wolverhampton's ‘rentirees’ didn’t plan it. They fell into it.

And there are things they must consider:

• Rental inflation: Rents are unlikely to go down.
• Security: A landlord may decide to sell. That’s stress no retiree should face.
• Personalisation: Renting means limits on making the space your own.

The question Wolverhampton needs to ask

What happens when more than 1 in 10 local retirees can't afford a roof over their heads without financial aid?

It’s time for councillors, housing associations, and local developers to face this head on. Wolverhampton needs a strategy for housing an ageing population who rent. Not just token gestures, but real planning:

• Incentives to build accessible single-storey homes
• Better long-term tenancy protections
• Encouragement of inheritance funded homeownership transitions
• Support schemes for older tenants

Final thoughts…

“Rentirement” isn’t a buzzword. It's the reality for hundreds in Wolverhampton and thousands across the UK.

Unless we address it now, that £804 million over the next 20 years isn’t just a statistic. It’s a warning to the policymakers, to the landlords and to society.

Renting in your 20’s is a phase. Renting in your 40’s might be your future. But renting in your 70’s and 80’s … with no plan in place? That could be a problem.

And Wolverhampton cannot afford to ignore it.