Uncertain refuge: experiences of tenure security in a precarious housing system

The Covid-19 pandemic has demonstrated the fundamental importance of secure, affordable and quality housing. However, it has also revealed the precariousness of housing for many and how pre-existing inequalities have been amplified by a global health emergency. The private rental sector has long been considered a precarious tenure, owing to weaker regulation, the temporary leases and a power imbalance between the rights of tenants and the interests of landlords. This article mobilises the concept of precarity to explore the lived experiences of tenants navigating Ireland’s rental sector, the challenges they face regarding housing affordability, security, quality and accessibility, and the ways the pandemic has intensified their experience of housing precarity. The research is operationalised through 28 interviews with renters from Dublin’s inner-city, suburbs and commuter belt. The concept of precarity captures the economic importance of housing for financial well-being and security, as well as the non-economic functions of home as an emotional conduit for belonging, ontological security and mental health.

The English House Condition Survey for 1991 demonstrated that levels of energy efficiency in private rented property are significantly below other sectors, even though energy improvements have tangible benefits for landlords. The low level of energy efficiency provision in the private rented sector indicates that landlords are unaware or unconvinced of these benefits and market barriers may have restricted uptake. Information regarding energy efficiency advice to the private rented HMO sector has focussed on offering good practice design guidance, and information about the level of fitness and overall characteristics of the sector. This research project evaluated the PRESS scheme, which encouraged landlords to introduce energy efficiency measures. A total of 78 private sector rented properties in Sheffield were analysed with retrofit measures to improve levels of energy efficiency. The results demonstrate that whilst market barriers exist, the PRESS scheme went some way to overcoming some barriers to energy efficiency.

References

Once, by giving long-term security of tenure and succession rights to those living in the private and public rented sectors, and ‘settled' accommodation to the homeless, housing law could be regarded as attempting 'to provide those who cannot afford to buy their own homes with a substitute for home ownership, a right to remain in occupation for at least a lifetime and often more' (Honoré, 1982: 37). Today, home ownership is itself far more problematic and far less secure than in previous decades. In the private rented sector, the Housing Act 1988 has drastically curtailed security of tenure and rights of succession to tenancies. Councils are being replaced by (quasi-private) housing associations as the main providers of social housing. The homelessness legislation has been judicially interpreted as imposing no duty to provide 'settled’ accommodation at all and the Housing Bill 1996 will take the process still further. A job for life is said to be a thing of the past. How many people now can reasonably expect to have a home for life? Key Words: housingsecure accommodationlocal authoritiesprivate landlordshomelessness

Young people increasingly comprise the key demand group for private rented accommodation in England and are overrepresented in the sector. For many young people this is their first experience of independent living, managing a tenancy and dealing with a landlord. Drawing on in-depth qualitative interviews with young people, this article focuses upon their experiences of living in the private rented sector in England. The article explores how young people’s experiences of independent living are often spoiled as a result of poor property conditions and management practices. The article raises issues about the quality of accommodation and repairs services provided in the private rented sector in England, as well as highlighting ineffective legislation and regulatory controls and insecurity of tenure. The article questions whether the private rented sector as it currently operates in England, is an appropriate housing solution for young people given the risks and nature of the conditions with which they often have to live.

This paper examines youth homelessness, precarity and poverty via a critical account of ‘Generation Rent’ – that young people are living in the private rental sector (PRS) in perpetuity having been locked out of both homeownership and social renting. The paper examines precarity in relation to employment (non-standard contracts) and housing (insecurity and evictions) with reference to in-depth interviews undertaken with 55 young people aged 18-30. This multi-ethnic group of low-income youth were living in temporary accommodation either in East London or in South East England having been displaced there from London. The paper illustrates the interlinkages between employment and housing precarity. The young people experienced the ‘low-pay, no-pay cycle’ which contributed towards making the expensive London PRS an insecure and unrealistic housing ‘option’. Their preferred housing was social renting, but access to this diminished due to austerity-related welfare cutbacks. Despite the young people’s well-founded antipathy towards the PRS, they were increasingly being steered towards this tenure destination by housing officials – a case of coerced, ‘press-ganged’ Generation Rent.

This Working Paper studies ways to stimulate the private rental sector (PRS) of the housing market – and compares experiences with policies and reforms in Germany, the Netherlands, Finland and the Czech Republic. Although in many countries the PRS has decreased in importance since the Second World War, there are signs of a growing importance and possible 'revival' of the PRS. A well-functioning PRS and neutrality in housing policies can improve the functioning of the housing market – by promoting residential mobility, increasing housing options for households and generating competitive supply and affordable prices. The PRS can have positive effects on the economy and labour mobility and reduce inefficiencies and risks of owner-occupied and social housing. Trade-offs between goals in housing policies, and regulatory impediments to a level playing field between segments of the housing market (owner-occupancy, social rental, private rental) are analysed. The article outlines policy options in promoting a well-functioning PRS: lessons are drawn on tenancy security, rent-setting regulations, social housing, demand subsidies, fiscal measures for rental and owner-occupied housing and barriers for PRS supply. Experiences from the countries show that it is hard to create a level playing field – there are inefficiencies in all four countries. Nonetheless, there are many positive experiences of stimulating the PRS: reforms in Finland and the Czech Republic stimulated the PRS to become a competitive and important part of the housing market, and Dutch policies are adapted to stimulate a level playing field. The 'resilience' of the German housing system during the economic crisis shows that the large PRS and tenure neutrality have important stabilising effects on the German economy.

In recent years, the Private Rented Sector (PRS) has witnessed rapid growth across numerous jurisdictions, with Chinese metropolises notably standing out. Throughout the history of housing policy development in China, the PRS has been largely disregarded. It was not until 2015 that the government proposed the idea of “accelerating the development of the rental housing market” to achieve a “balanced development between home renting and purchasing”. However, the PRS in China is still in its immature stage, as evidenced by unstable rents and tenure, insufficient tenant rights, low levels of tenant satisfaction, minimal institutional landlord participation, and a lack of motivation among local governments to develop the PRS. This dissertation aims to gain an indepth understanding of the PRS in metropolitan China and explore how to improve its functioning using Shenzhen as a case study. Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected to examine the determinants of tenants’ intention to rent and residential satisfaction, the relationship between residential environment, social exclusion, and life satisfaction, the impact of landlords' management practices on tenants' housing experiences, and main challenges and solutions for a well-developed PRS. The results suggest that the PRS in Shenzhen is highly heterogeneous and comprised of several distinct sub-sectors. Housing policies should be tailored to each subsector's unique characteristics. The dissertation also reveals that the PRS is interconnected with other institutions such as the hukou system and education system. Therefore, a well-functioning PRS depends on the simultaneous reform of other sectors and institutions.

Purpose– This paper aims to investigate the views of landlords and agents on the voluntary scheme, along with their opinions of the Welsh Government’s proposals to make accreditation compulsory for landlords and agents renting or letting in Wales. This paper is based on a conference paper given in India at the RICS COBRA 2013 Conference. Landlord Accreditation Wales (LAW) is a voluntary accreditation scheme for landlords and agents operating within the private rented sector (PRS) in Wales. When it launched in 1999, it was a pioneering accreditation scheme offering voluntary rather than legal regulation of the Welsh PRS.Design/methodology/approach– A questionnaire, designed and developed in partnership with LAW, was sent out nationwide. All the landlords and agents on file were sent the questionnaire by LAW. This was followed up by reminder e-mails, along with the promotion of this national project at locally run landlord and agent events. The research provides a snapshot and coverage of the views of landlords and agents connected to LAW only.Findings– The PRS in Wales, as with the rest of Britain, still suffers from negative imagery because of the behavior of a minority of agents and landlords that operate poor housing management practices and standards. While on the whole popular amongst landlords and agents, voluntary regulation is unlikely to tackle these issues effectually. Accordingly, the Welsh Government intends to make registration and accreditation within the PRS compulsory. The results of this empirical study show that the LAW scheme has positive effects on the standards and practices of a number of landlords and agents. The proposal to have mandatory registration and accreditation in Wales has not been met with overwhelming support from landlords and agents. Instead, there are significant pockets of uncertainty about, and resistance to, the introduction of legal regulation within the PRS.Originality/value– The research contributes to the existing literature surrounding the regulation of the PRS by providing a distinctive insight into the views of landlords and agents on voluntary accreditation within the PRS in Wales as well as examining their opinions on the proposal to impose mandatory accreditation throughout the Sector.

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to sketch the UK housing backdrop, review the student private rented sector (PRS) and assess the experience of post-graduate university student tenants in the PRS.Design/methodology/approach– A literature review puts the issues of student-PRS responsiveness into context and helps to untangle some UK housing issues. The private sector’s size, growth and performance is assessed by reviewing secondary data. In-depth interviews were then conducted at a regional university campus.Findings– The study confirms accumulating evidence of an unbalanced UK housing market. The study identified four main PRS issues: first, rapid university expansion without accompanying residential construction has sparked rampant PRS growth with, second, quality issues, third, in tight letting market conditions, rented agent service levels fell and fourth, part of the problem is complex PRS management procedures.Research limitations/implications– The research has three noteworthy limitations. First, the macroeconomic analysis integrated secondary research without independent modelling. Second, the views of letting agents, university property managers, planning officers or landlords were not canvassed. Finally, the pilot interviews were geographically restricted.Practical implications– When they expand, universities, local authorities and industry players need to give due consideration to plan for, design and develop quality student accommodation. Over-reliance on the PRS without informed oversight and coordination could undermine student experience and erode long-term UK competitiveness.Social implications– The lack of quality student rented accommodation mirrors a general housing malaise around affordability, polarisation and sustainable “dwelling”. Standards and professionalism in the rented sector is part of the overall quality mix to attract global talent.Originality/value– The preliminary investigation uses mixed-methods to investigate PRS service delivery. It illustrates the interplay between professional property management and wider issues of metropolitan productivity, sustainability and resilience.

Shared housing in the private rental sector (PRS) is becoming a globally significant household arrangement. However, research indicates that shared housing is associated with problems including financial and housing insecurity. Given the growth of shared housing in the PRS, it is necessary for policy solutions to appropriately address the needs of shared housing renters. This paper aims to investigate the relationship between housing policy and non-commercial shared housing in the PRS – that is, autonomous households in self-contained dwellings – and how this has been conceptualised and examined in academic scholarship thus far. To achieve these aims, we conduct a scoping review on non-commercial shared housing in the PRS. Research illustrates that the reality of shared housing is not accommodated well in existing housing policy systems. We analyse reasons that housing policy may not adapt easily to non-commercial shared housing, and outline the need for further research on policy implications and recommendations about shared housing in the PRS.

Chilling and sweltering at home: Surveying energy poverty and thermal vulnerability among Portuguese higher education students

PurposeThis paper aims to analyse the extent to which the government’s recent proposals to end no-fault evictions will result in “family-friendly” tenancies.Design/methodology/approachIt applies the theoretical scholarship on the meaning of family and home to the current law relating to private rented tenancies and the government’s proposals to increase security of tenure in the private rented sector.FindingsSecurity of tenure is important to a number of the key aspects of home. However, feelings of home are better protected by security of occupancy, which requires more than de jure security of tenure. For families to feel at home in the private rented sector, they must be permitted to personalise their home and to keep pets. Further legislative changes could achieve these changes. However, for families to really make a home in the private rented sector, they need to exercise some choice over where they live and for low-income families; this will only be possible with broader policy changes.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to the important scholarship on the meaning of home and applies this to the very current debate on the rights of tenants in the private rented sector.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the emic theme of “unqualified social work” as part of the process of property management in a self-described “letting agency with a difference” in Edinburgh, set in the context of the rapid expansion of the private rented sector.Design/methodology/approachThe paper is based upon ethnographic data from participant observation in a letting agency and unstructured interviews with their employees.FindingsThe paper suggests that the shift in Scotland in terms of the provision of housing and housing-related services from the public sector to the private rented sector in recent decades has engendered new social and economic relations in which property managers become “unqualified social workers”.Practical implicationsThe paper aims to exemplify how anthropology and ethnographic research may contribute to the understanding of the private rented sector and of property management.Originality/valueThe paper aims to contribute to the wider literature on the private rented sector by foregrounding the role of the property manager. The paper also brings an analysis derived from the anthropology of ethics to an ethnographic understanding of property management and the private rented sector.

Preface The new private rented sector - regulation in a deregulated market, Stuart Lowe A GIS analysis of rent formation in the private rented housing sector in England, Peter Bibby, Max Craglia, A.D.H. (Tony) Crook and Steven Rowley Buy to let landlords, David Rhodes Housing benefit and the private rented sector: a case study of variance in rental niche markets, Julie Rugg Controlling letting arrangements in the private rented sector, Diane Lister Regulating the market, David Ormandy and Martin Davis Landlords and fair trading: all consumers now?, Martin Davis and Rachel Houghton Accreditation, David Hughes and Rachel Houghton Regulating a deregulated market, David Hughes and Stuart Lowe Bibliography Index.