Browse The National Archives' catalogue

Inside you will find

• AT 761986-2000Department of the Environment and related bodies: Research Analysis Division: English House Condition Survey: Datasets

  This dataset series contains information gathered by The English House Condition Survey (EHCS). The survey was set up to gather information for the Department of the Environment on the changing condition of England's housing stock. The data was used for determining resource allocation and policy development. Surveys were carried out every five years, with the first being done in 1986.

  The English House Condition Survey database is built up from a core sample of dwellings, collected by four separate but related surveys which together make up the EHCS:

  • 1) The Physical Survey: A survey of dwellings to provide a description of the stock, its present condition and its energy characteristics.
  • 2) The Interview Survey: Interviews with households to determine their characteristics, (including detailed financial circumstances), and attitudes to repairs; to identify the nature and cost of improvement and repair work they have undertaken or intend to undertake, and to establish the effectiveness of heating arrangements in the home. The Fuel Survey (usually conducted alongside the Interview survey, or directed at a sub-sample of it) collected data on electricity and gas consumption for these households to measure energy efficiency of the housing stock and the potential for energy savings.
  • 3) The Postal Survey: A postal survey of local authorities and housing associations, to identify the action they have taken, or intend to take, on their own stock and, for local authorities, action on private sector dwellings.
  • 4) The Valuation Survey: A survey of vacant possession market values which can be linked to information on dwelling type, condition and location; may be used with household income data to compare value, particularly equity, with household circumstances.

  The datasets in this series are available to download. Links to individual datasets can be found at piece level.

  Details