10 November 2015
Review of Housing Stock Data
Summary
Following consultation with users, Analytical Services Unit (ASU) will be making changes to
the Housing Stock data included in the annual Northern Ireland Housing Statistics report.
These changes will be included in the next edition of the report, due to be released on the
17th November 2015.
Background
Section 1 of DSD’s Northern Ireland Housing Statistics annual report includes breakdowns of
Northern Ireland housing stock. In previous years this has included estimates of total
Housing Stock by Tenure. Due to the absence of any reliable data on vacant properties it is
no longer appropriate to continue with the methodology used to estimate Total Stock by
Tenure.
During August and September of this year, ASU sought users’ views regarding proposed
changes to the Housing Stock data included in the annual Northern Ireland Housing
Statistics report. Refer to the consultation link below for further information:
https://www.dsdni.gov.uk/publications/proposed-changes-housing-stock-tables
In light of feedback received from users, ASU intend to make the changes detailed below.
Planned Changes

Estimates of Housing Stock in the annual report will be replaced with Land and
Property Services (LPS) counts of Housing Stock from their administrative data
systems. Tables 1.2 and 1.3 which included Estimated Housing Stock by Tenure will
be replaced with LPS counts of Housing stock in Table 1.2 and Estimates of Tenure
sourced from the Continuous Household Survey in Table 1.3. The Continuous
Household Survey is one of the largest continuous surveys carried out in Northern
Ireland. The survey is designed, conducted and analysed by the Central Survey Unit
of the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency.

Tables 1.4 and 1.5 previously included Dwelling Tenure and Dwelling Type by the
Proposed New Council Areas sourced from the Northern Ireland Housing Executive’s
10 November 2015
House Conditions Survey. The survey was last run in 2011, and due to the relatively
small sample size the statistics produced at Council Area provide only a broad
indication of Tenure and Dwelling Type at that level. These tables will be replaced with
a single table of Dwellings by Type in each of the 11 District Councils of Northern
Ireland, sourced from Land and Property Services.

In the absence of any data on vacant properties from Land and Property Services
consideration is being given to the inclusion of counts of vacant properties in the Social
Rented Sector. Although agreement has not yet been reached with data suppliers,
future editions of the annual report may include counts of vacant properties owned by
the Northern Ireland Housing Executive and the Housing Associations.
Analytical Services Unit, DSD