Rental security and the property manager in a tenant’s search for a private rental property

Abstract

This article builds on current understandings of rental security by exploring the important role of the property manager in a tenant's search for a private rental property. In the absence of any legislated right to housing, as is the case in many Anglophone societies, the decision to accept or reject a tenancy application is in the hands of the landlord, and, in many cases, the property manager, who provides expert advice to the landlord. A qualitative content analysis of blogs featured on two national websites advertising rental properties in Australia, identifies six aspects of interactions between the tenant and property manager argued to impact a tenant’s ability to secure a rental property: responsibility, making an impression, established relationships, honesty, flexibility and creative thinking. Findings suggest that understandings of rental security need to extend beyond a tenant’s experience while leasing and must incorporate experiences during the search for a private rental property.