How could lowering the voting age affect the future housing market?

Political decisions made in the UK are one of the most important factors affecting the growth and success of the housing market. Those decisions come down to which MPs voters choose, and therefore which party wins a general election.

Until recently, there had been no major changes to the UK electorate for decades. In 1928, women over the age of 21 were given the vote. Then, in 1969, the voting age was reduced for all voters from 21 to 18.

Now, the government plans to reduce the voting age in England to 16 before the next election. That will bring England in line with Scotland and Wales, and could have an effect on national housing policy.

Read more to learn…

• Why is the government reducing the voting age in England?
• How could it affect the next general election in 2029?
• How might the housing market be affected by the voting age being reduced to 16?
• When is the best time to invest in UK property?

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Why is the government reducing the voting age in England?

The voting age is being reduced to help modernise the electoral system. The government has noted that 16-year-olds already contribute to society by working and paying taxes. However, at present, they have no say over how their tax money is spent. In a modern democracy, that does not make sense.

The change will bring England in line with Wales, Scotland and other parts of the world where the voting age has already been lowered. Overall, it is a move to increase democracy in the UK and give more people the rights they are entitled to under the current social contract.

Minister for Democracy, Rushanara Ali, said: “We are modernising our democracy, so that it is fit for the 21st century. By delivering our manifesto commitment to extend the vote to 16 and 17 year olds, we are taking a generational step forward in restoring public trust and boosting engagement in UK democracy, supporting our Plan for Change.”

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How could it affect the next general election?

The government believes it will not fundamentally alter the political landscape, saying: “There has been no impact on the results of elections and that young people enfranchised at 16 are more likely to vote than those enfranchised at 18.”

However, it’s also true that people who start voting at 16 are more likely to continue voting for the rest of their lives than people who start voting at 18. So it is likely that in future there will be a higher proportion of younger people voting in elections.

Younger people will have different electoral priorities from older generations, so it is likely that the effect of lowering the voting age will be more significant in the longer term.

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How might the housing market be affected by the voting age being reduced to 16?

Housing is a very important issue for younger people. The number of young people able to afford home ownership has decreased by 55% since 1997.

The average property value in England has increased by 173% since then, but the average salary for young people has only gone up 19% in the same time period. On top of that are the lasting effects of COVID, the cost of living crisis and the growth in rental prices – all of which have affected the prospects of the younger generations substantially.

Data from the National Centre for Social Research shows ‘Gen Z’ faces the biggest gap of any generation between housing aspiration and reality:

• 81% would choose to buy a home if they could.
• Yet, 78% expect house prices in their area to increase further in the next 10 years.
• They expect to spend more time living with their parents.
• They want more support for renters.
• 48% want to see new homes built in their areas.

The reality is that younger people are more likely to vote for housing policies which increase ‘intergenerational fairness’. In other words, political parties promise to open up their access to housing and make life more affordable.

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When is the best time to invest in property?

That information might make it sound like investors should be worried about the future. However, there are some important factors to bear in mind:

• Any changes made to the property market will take decades to have a real impact.
• Construction rates are still too low to make a real difference to the supply of houses.
• There will be a shortage of homes for many years to come.
• People will be forced to rent long-term even if they want to buy a house.
• House prices and rents are forecast to keep increasing in the short- and long-term.
• Almost every mainstream political party in the UK is invested in making sure the housing market does not change.

All those factors mean investors should not be worried about the impact of the lowered voting age on the property market. It will still remain profitable for the long-term, and demand for property of all types will keep increasing. That is especially true for city centre rental properties, which will continue to be the most popular type of housing for young renters.

The best time to invest to maximise your profits on UK buy-to-let is now. The market is growing, and all available data shows it is likely to keep doing so for many years to come.

For example, buying Manchester investment property or Liverpool buy-to-let apartments means you could see as much as 31.2% capital appreciation by the end of 2029. A lower voting age at the next election is unlikely to change that.

Want to learn more about UK buy-to-let investment in 2026? Contact our team of experts today for a free property investment consultation!