The financialization of rental housing in China: A case study of the asset-light financing model of long-term apartment rental

Abstract

This paper offers a timely exploration of the ongoing financialization process in the Chinese rental housing sector, focusing on the financial means used by the asset-light “long-term apartment rental” (LAR) firms in this industry. Particular attention is given to an important financial product – “rental loan” – which accumulates capital pool through tenancy assetization. Using Shanghai as a case study, the paper also examines financial risks and tenants’ vulnerability embedded in the new financing strategies used by asset-light LAR firms. Our findings enrich the knowledge of the heterogeneity of financialization as well as the various impacts of financialization on housing rights and urban governance. This work engages with the literature of housing financialization by critically discussing the patterns and consequences of the financialization of rental housing.