Owning a home and having a child link weakens

YOUNG people are now just as likely to become parents while living in private rented accommodation as they are while owning their own home, according to a study.

Researchers from the Centre for Population Change at the University of Southampton said their findings show a shift from previous eras when parents were more likely to be homeowners.

The study found that up until 2012, the likelihood of conceiving a first child was significantly higher for homeowners compared with private tenants, regardless of socio-economic or demographic status.

But since 2013, the researchers found a “clear change” in the relationship between owning a home and becoming a parent. They suggest the cost of owning a home is now in direct competition with the costs of raising children.

Professor Ann Berrington, who led the research, said: “This disconnection between owning a home and becoming a parent has significant implications for parenthood in general.

“If it is the case, as we propose, that homeownership is increasingly competing with the costs of having children, then it is likely that those who do manage to buy a home might postpone or even forgo having children.”

However, she added more protection is needed for the growing number of families in rented accommodation. She said: “The private rental housing market in Britain remains un-family friendly, unregulated, and insecure.”