Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.The English Housing Survey (EHS) is a continuous national survey commissioned by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) that collects information about people's housing circumstances and the condition and energy efficiency of housing in England. The EHS brings together two previous surveys into a single fieldwork operation: the English House Condition Survey (EHCS) (available from the UK Data Archive under GN 33158) and the Survey of English Housing (SEH) (available from the Archive under GN 33277). The EHS covers all housing tenures and provides valuable information and evidence to inform the development and monitoring of the department's housing policies. Results from the survey are also used by a wide range of other users including other government departments, local authorities, housing associations, landlords, academics, construction industry professionals, consultants, and the general public. The EHS has a complex multi-stage methodology consisting of two main elements; an initial interview survey of around 14,000 households and a follow-up physical inspection. Some further elements are also periodically included in or derived from the EHS: for 2008 and 2009, a desk-based market valuation was conducted of a sub-sample of 8,000 dwellings (including vacant ones), but this was not carried out from 2010 onwards. A periodic follow-up survey of private landlords and agents (the Private Landlords Survey (PLS)) is conducted using information from the EHS interview survey. Fuel Poverty datasets are also available from 2003, created by the Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC). The EHS interview survey sample formed part of the Integrated Household Survey (IHS) (available from the Archive under GN 33420) from April 2008 to April 2011. During this period the core questions from the IHS formed part of the EHS questionnaire. The EHS is used to derive two types of datasets: Household and Housing Stock. These are available separately for the End User Licence (EUL) and Special Licence (SL) versions, but are combined into one study for the Secure Access EHS:Household datasets comprise the full interview data (plus associated derived variables) for all cases where an interview has been completed. Datasets are provided for single financial years together with annual weights. The survey consists of a detailed interview using a CAPI based program. An interview is first conducted with the householder. Household datasets should be used for any analysis where only information from the household interview is required. Housing Stock data are available for all cases where a physical survey has been completed. For occupied properties, the datasets include data from the household interview as well as data from the physical survey. For vacant properties, only data for the physical survey are provided. The data are made available for a two year rolling sample i.e. approximately 12,000 cases together with the appropriate 2-year weights. This means that if you use more than one housing stock dataset, you must use either odd or even years. For example, you need to use the Housing Stock Dataset for '2012' and '2014' or '2013' and '2015', but not the dataset for '2014' and '2013' as you would double-count the cases surveyed between April 2013 and March 2014. The Housing Stock datasets should be used for any analysis requiring information relating to the physical characteristics and energy efficiency of the housing stock. Derived datasets provide key analytical variables compiled post-fieldwork including energy efficiency ratings, decent home indicators and equivalised income.Secure Access EHS data: Secure Access datasets for the EHS up to 2013/14 are available under UK Data Archive SN 6923 and include two detailed geographical variables that are not available in the standard EUL versions: Postcodes and Lower Layer Super Output Areas. These variables have been merged into the General derived data file within each Household and Housing Stock dataset. The two variables are also available in a separate Detailed Geography data file, along with the key variable 'aacode', allowing the user to merge with other files of their choice. All other files are the same as in the EUL versions. Secure Access datasets for the EHS from 2014/15 are available under Archive SN 8121. From the submission of the 2014/15 datasets onwards, the EHS Secure Access approach was changed by the Department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG). The Postcode and Lower Layer Super Output Area variables remain available and DCLG also provide versions of the full EHS datasets as used internally, i.e. not disclosure controlled, for Secure Access. For the 2015/16 datasets, the Secure Access version includes the Special Licence version data also available under SNs 8254 and 8255, as well as detailed geography files containing postcodes and Lower Layer Super Output Area variables. Prospective users of the Secure Access version of the EHS will need to fulfil additional requirements, commencing with the completion of extra application forms to demonstrate to the data owners exactly why they need access to the extra, more detailed variables, in order to obtain permission to use that version. Secure Access users must also complete face-to-face training and agree to Secure Access' User Agreement and Licence Compliance Policy (see 'Access' section below). Therefore, users are encouraged to download and inspect the EUL and/or Special Licence versions of the data prior to ordering a Secure Access version. Related UK Data Archive studies: EUL versions of the EHS studies are available under GN 33422, and further details and links for these can be found via the EHS list of datasets. From 2014/15 data onwards, the EUL versions of the EHS only include derived variables. In addition the number of variables on the new EUL datasets has been reduced and disclosure control increased on certain remaining variables. New Special Licence versions of the EHS have been deposited, which are of a similar nature to previous EHS EUL datasets and include derived and raw datasets. Special Licence versions of the data from 2014/15 onwards are available under Archive GN 33515. Further information about the EHS and the latest news, reports and tables can be found on the GOV.UK English Housing Survey web pages.

For the sixth edition (March 2017), the physical data file for each year has been updated; a new cavity wall insulation variable, wins95x, has been added. In compliance with Building Regulations, an increasing proportion of dwellings built in 1991 or after with cavity walls had cavity wall insulation fitted at the time of construction (known as 'as built' insulation), although compliance could also be achieved through other techniques. The non-intrusive survey undertaken in the EHS would not always be able to identify as built insulation (though the surveyor might have found out from the occupant), so dwellings built in 1991 or after with cavity walls with no evidence of insulation in the survey have been assumed to be insulated. The category 'cavity walls with evidence of insulation' includes both dwellings with evidence of cavity wall insulation (e.g. drill holes or information from occupants) and those built in 2003 or after. A separate category identifies cavity walled dwellings built in 1991 or after where no evidence of cavity wall insulation was seen by the surveyors and where no assumptions have been made based on the construction date. This category therefore includes dwellings built in 1991 or after up to and including in 2002, with no evidence of CWI from the physical survey. For the 2014/15 Headline Report a new variable for cavity wall insulation was introduced (wins95x, which has been added to EHS physical files from 2007/8 onwards). From the submission of the 2015 data, wins95x will replace wins90x.

Main Topics:The EHS Household datasets consist of the results from a detailed interview with the householder using a CAPI based program. The interview topics include: household characteristics (including general tenure and demographics), housing needs, housing aspirations and satisfaction with the home and the area, housing moves, disability and adaptations to the home, vulnerable and disadvantaged households, ownership and rental details, income details and housing costs. The EHS Housing Stock survey consists of two components: Interview Survey. An interview is first conducted with the householder. The interview topics include: household characteristics, satisfaction with the home and the area, disability and adaptations to the home, ownership and rental details and income details. All interviewees are guaranteed confidentiality and all data are anonymised. Physical Survey. Where interviews were achieved (the 'full household sample'), each year all rented properties and a sub-sample of owner occupied properties are regarded as eligible for the physical survey and the respondent's consent is sought. A proportion of vacant properties were also sub-sampled. For these cases a visual inspection of the property, both internal and external is carried out by a qualified surveyor.

Multi-stage stratified random sample

Face-to-face interview

House inspection; Surveyor property inspection