More people could be renting for life as it gets harder to buy a home.

That's one of the findings in a new Threshold report, which says more than half of people renting expect to still be doing so in 2027.

While only 14% of those surveyed say they are renting by choice.

Anne Marie O'Reilly, Threshold's policy officer, told Breakfast Briefing more older people are in this category.

"Generation Rent isn't just about people in their 20s, who may or may not own their home down the line.

"But it's people who are in their 30s, 40s, 50s and older who are renting long-term and will likely rent for life - and what that means for them, and insecurity that they see for their future".

She says there are wider impacts for those with children.

"Only 14% actually said they are renting out of choice and... the majority would prefer their own home.

"We ask, then, how many expect to own their own home in five years' time - and only 28% expect they will do so.

"So people's aspirations and expectations really, really do differ.

"This is quite a worry for people, because it means for them 'Will I be living in this home in five years' time?' - particularly if they have children.

"They wonder will that mean 'Are we going to have to move schools again? Will they be moving away from friends?'"

Difficulty 'across the board'

While 38% say they feel secure in their tenancy, "that's actually a drop compared to when we did the survey two years ago", she says.

Ms O'Reilly says the reasons for people moving tenancies was mostly due to landlords selling.

"We asked people how long they had been renting overall: about 70% are seasoned renters - renting over six years.

"But about half of them are actually in their currently tenancy less than two years.

"We asked why they had to move: only a fifth of them moved out of choice - a quarter actually moved because the landlord was selling".

And 92% say it is 'difficult or extremely difficult' to find somewhere to rent.

"That's actually higher than when we did the survey last year.

"This difficulty with finding somewhere to rent: it was across the board.

"It didn't matter the person's age, their income, their family status... it was across the board that people found it difficult to find somewhere else to rent", she adds.