Social housing in the borough
We're not able to offer housing to everyone who needs a better home in Kensington and Chelsea. There isn't enough social housing in the borough, even though more is being built.
We know housing is expensive, but social housing isn't always the best option. You could wait years in temporary accommodation before a home becomes available. Before you apply, you should look at other housing options, which may be more suitable. You can also view our Housing Allocation Scheme to find out how we prioritise those most in need.
Housing facts and figures
Homes in the borough
Kensington and Chelsea has:
- the highest average house prices and rents in London (Office of National Statistics)
- few houses to buy or rent as around 4 out of 5 properties in the borough are flats (Census 2021)
Social housing
The number of social homes in the borough:
- 7,053 council
- 11,600 housing association
Owned or rented homes
Census 2021 data on the number of homes in the borough:
- 34% owner occupied housing
- 22% rented social housing (35% council and 65% housing association)
- 44% rented private housing
Households in need of homes
There are around:
- 3,000 households waiting on the Housing Register
- 2,000 homeless households in temporary accommodation
We have to place 80% of those in temporary accommodation outside borough.
Social housing let in the last 5 years
The number of council and housing association homes let from the Housing Register:
- 407 in 2024 to 2025
- 379 in 2023 to 2024
- 401 in 2022 to 2023
- 409 in 2021 to 2022
- 395 in 2020 to 2021
Size of social homes let in 2024 to 2025
| Size of home | Council | Housing association | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | 52 | 18 | 70 |
| 1 bed | 71 | 86 | 157 |
| 2 bed | 67 | 51 | 118 |
| 3 bed | 43 | 12 | 55 |
| 4 bed | 4 | 3 | 7 |
| Total | 237 | 170 | 407 |
Social housing waiting times
These average waiting times are by priority group between March 2024 and April 2025.
| Size of home | Homeless | Non-homeless |
|---|---|---|
| Studio | 3 years and 3 months | 3 years and 4 months |
| 1 bed | 3 years | 2 years and 9 months |
| 2 bed | 9 years and 8 months | 2 years |
| 3 bed | 13 years and 10 months | 5 years and 5 months |
| 4 bed | 16 years and 11 months | 11 years and 8 months |
| Overall average | 7 years and 8 months | 3 years |
Only two 5 bed properties have become available to let since July 2016.
View our Housing Allocations Report to see how we let social housing in the borough in 2024 to 2025.