Plea to Aid Downsizing Amid Empty Rooms Glut

Seven in 10 households in England and Wales have at least one spare bedroom, with eight million homes having two or more, according to analysis from the Office for National Statistics. The figures, drawn from the 2011 census, show significant levels of under-occupancy in the country. Of the 23.4 million households in England and Wales, more than 16 million, or 68 per cent, have at least one spare bedroom. More than 82 per cent of privately owned homes have spare bedrooms, the ONS analysis reveals. Under-occupation is highest in rural parts of the East Midlands – including Rutland, South Northamptonshire and Rushcliffe in Nottinghamshire – and Monmouthshire, Wales.  Read more on the Daily Telegraph website.