Vulnerable Private Renters: Evidence and Options

Abstract

The paper examines the experiences of vulnerable people in the private rental market. It also discusses policies that affect outcomes for vulnerable renters.

Vulnerable renters include households with many characteristics associated with disadvantage. The fastest growth in private renting has been among households that include at least one Indigenous person, a person aged over 65 years, or a person with a disability or long-term health condition. The ageing of the population and changing patterns of home ownership will see growth in the latter two groups continue over coming decades. A majority of private renter households with these characteristics also have low incomes.