Secure occupancy in rental housing: a comparative analysis

Summary

This project will review and assess international models for providing periods of secure occupancy for households who rent their housing, in particular lower-income and vulnerable households. It will evaluate whether, and to what extent, these can be applied in the Australian context to longer-term rental housing.


Project Number: 50565
Research Theme: Housing_Policies_and_Programs
Project Leader: Hulse, Kath
Funding Year: 2009
Research Centre: Swinburne-Monash

Description

    The research questions are:

  • What are current provisions for providing periods of secure occupancy for renters in Australian jurisdictions?
  • What models are used internationally for providing periods of secure occupancy for households in rental housing, having regard to legislation, regulation, policy and programs?
  • How effective are these models for providing periods of secure occupancy for renter households in the context of greater risks?
  • To what extent are these models transferable to the Australian context?
The research design involves:
  • Scoping of current provisions for secure occupancy for renter households in all Australian jurisdictions, with two more detailed case studies (Victoria and NSW);
  • International survey of provisions for secure occupancy in 10 countries through an exciting new collaboration with OTB Research Institute for Housing, Urban and Mobility Studies, Delft University of Technology, Netherlands, a leading European centre for housing research;
  • Analysis of Australian and international information to indicate possible options for providing periods of secure occupancy in Australia, in particular for lower-income and vulnerable households.
The findings will assist policy makers to consider different policy instruments that could provide more secure occupancy in an increasingly diverse rental sector. Policy makers interested in supporting the secure occupancy of rental housing for lower-income and vulnerable households will benefit from having the latest information on, and assessment of, current provisions across Australia. Importantly, they will also have expert advice on to what extent, and how, other developed countries promote secure occupancy, and a locally grounded assessment of the potential usefulness of those models in the Australian context.

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