Almost one in every 10 homes completed over the last two years was converted from an office using permitted development rights, new analysis from the Local Government Association claims.
It found 30,575 homes have been converted from offices since 2015.
The LGA said this amounts to around 8% of new homes nationally, rising to two-thirds of all new housing in some regions.
In Stevenage, office-to-resi conversions made up 73% of new homes. In Three Rivers it was 64%, and 61% in Sutton during 2016-17.
In Nottingham, Basildon, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Hounslow and Harlow the number was more than half.
Homes delivered via permitted development rights do not require developers to contribute affordable housing or infrastructure payments or to satisfy design or size standards.
The LGA estimates that PD has led to the loss of a potential 7,644 affordable homes over the last two years, also using up valuable office space.
Councillor Martin Tett, the LGA’s housing spokesman, said: “Permitted development is detrimental to the ability of local communities to shape the area they live in.
“Planning is not a barrier to housebuilding, and councils are approving nine in 10 planning applications. But it is essential that councils, which are answerable to their residents, have an oversight of local developments to ensure they are good quality and help build prosperous places.”
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