What do lower income tenants in Scotland's private rented sector want to see from a new Rented Sector Strategy?
The Joseph Rowntree Foundation, in partnership with the Scottish Government, appointed a multi-disciplinary research team to deliver a new project exploring what people living on a low income want to see from further reform to the private rented sector in Scotland.
The Scottish Government have committed to tackling unaffordable rents and publishing a new Rented Sector Strategy by the end of 2021, informed by tenants and sensitive to current inequalities in housing, that will inform a new Housing Bill in 2022.
Dr Tom Simcock, (previously of Edge Hill University, now University of Huddersfield), led a team of housing specialists from a consortium of universities including the University of Stirling, University of Glasgow, the Collaborative Centre for Housing Evidence (CaCHE), and others, to explore low-income tenants’ priorities for change. As well as identifying what needs to change from tenants’ perspectives, the research team will bring together tenants, housing specialists, landlords and policy makers to agree shared, specific, and deliverable recommendations for positive change.
Project Team
Project lead:
Dr Tom Simcock (Edge Hill University)
Co-Investigators:
Dr Kim McKee (University of Stirling, UK Collaborative Centre for Housing Evidence)
Dr Adriana Soaita (University of Glasgow, UK Collaborative Centre for Housing Evidence)
Professor Alex Marsh (University of Bristol, UK Collaborative Centre for Housing Evidence)
Dr Tom Moore (University of Liverpool, UK Collaborative Centre for Housing Evidence)
Dr Jennifer Harris (University of Bristol, UK Collaborative Centre for Housing Evidence)
Dr Gareth James (University of Glasgow, UK Collaborative Centre for Housing Evidence)
Project overview
The private rented sector (PRS) is now home to one-in-seven Scottish households. The sector has grown significantly over the last twenty years and now houses a diverse population, including families with children, low-income and other vulnerable groups, many of whom face difficulties in accessing other tenures. The Scottish Government is committed to significant further reform of the private rented sector, informed by tenants, as part of their ambition to deliver the Right to Adequate Housing for all and the Housing to 2040 vision. Earlier in 2022, the Scottish Government launched A New Deal for Tenants – Draft Strategy Consultation Paper seeking to boost the availability, quality, standards, affordability, and security for all renters. The Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) in partnership with the Scottish Government commissioned this research to better understand the experiences of private renters and their priorities for change, particularly those on lower incomes, to help inform the development of the strategy and future reform.
This research involved a mixed methods approach to understand the challenges faced by low-income renters in Scotland and their priorities for change. For the purposes of this study, we defined low income as total household income below £24,999.
The study involved:
a rapid evidence review of previous research into the experience of low-income renters (106 research sources),
qualitative research with low-income renters (two focus groups (N=7) and 37 remote interviews with renters),
a quantitative element with a bespoke survey of private renters in Scotland (n=1,012 and included all income groups), and,
an innovative participatory co-production element, where we brought together low-income renters (N=32), stakeholders, and policymakers to discuss challenges and co-produce recommendations for change.
Evidence Review: Housing Challenges Faced by Low-Income and Other Vulnerable Privately Renting Households
This report sets out the findings of the evidence review for the Tenants’ priorities for reforming the PRS in Scotland project.
A rapid evidence review of previous research was conducted to understand what is already known about the experiences of low-income renters. The review included 106 research sources, including around 2,060 low-income private renters voices captured, either in formal or informal approaches through the studies reviewed.
The review identified nine deeply interlinked areas of challenges faced by renters. These are:
Access to properties to rent;
Affordability;
Security of tenure;
Quality and property conditions;
A sense of home;
Disputes;
Demographics;
Geography and displacement; and
COVID-19.
Report authors: Adriana Soaita, Tom Simcock, and Kim McKee
The Challenges of Living in Scotland’s Private Rented Sector
This report sets out the findings of the qualitative research element of the Tenants’ priorities for reforming the PRS in Scotland project.
Authors: Kim McKee, Tom Simcock, and Jennifer Harris
A qualitative element involving focus groups and semi-structured interviews with low-income renters and stakeholders. Two online focus groups (N=7) and 37 remote semi-structured interviews were conducted with low-income renters between October 2021 and April 2022. One focus group (N=8) and one remote semi-structured interview with stakeholder organisations were conducted during November 2021.
The report sets out a number of key challenges faced by low-income renters, across the following themes:
Choice, Flexibility and Responsibility in the PRS;
Accessing Accommodation and Housing Exclusion;
Affordability;
Property Conditions and Repairs;
Making a Home;
Protected Characteristics; and
Awareness of Rights and Priorities for Change.
Living in Scotland’s Private Rented Sector: A Bespoke Survey of Renter’s Experiences
This report sets out the findings of the bespoke survey element of the Tenants’ priorities for reforming the PRS in Scotland project.
Author: Tom Simcock
Drawing upon the initial findings from the evidence review and qualitative elements of this study, the survey was designed to collect information on a broad range of experiences and challenges. Alongside demographic questions, areas of focus included affordability and financial distress, finding a tenancy, security and flexibility of tenure, disputes, housing conditions, a sense of home, impact on health and wellbeing, and priorities for change. To access a larger sample of renters in a short space of time, a dedicated survey company was used. YouGov undertook the fieldwork for the survey between the 15th to 28th November 2021. The total sample size was 1,012 adults.
The report sets out the key findings from the survey, including on the issues of financial distress and affordability, finding a tenancy, property conditions, the impact of renting on health and wellbeing.
Key findings include the following:
Many private renters told us they rented not through choice, but because it was their only option. 44% of tenants in our survey reported they were renting privately because it was their only option – rising to 54% of those on lower incomes.
Over a third of renters surveyed had experienced some form of dispute with their landlord or letting agent (36%).
Many of our participants spent significant proportions of their income on rent and reported it as something they worried about. 30% of renters found it difficult to pay their rent. Over half of low-income renters (55%) were worried about being able to afford other essentials in the future – rising to 62% of those who received support through Universal Credit/Housing Benefit.
Over a quarter of renters surveyed (27%) reported that their current housing situation leaves them feeling stressed and anxious
Nearly a third of renters surveyed (32%) reported that their current housing situation makes them feel like they do not have control over their life
Co-producing solutions to the challenges faced by low-income renters in Scotland
This report sets out the findings of the co-production element of the Tenants’ priorities for reforming the PRS in Scotland project.
Authors: Tom SImcock, Alex Marsh, and Tom Moore
Drawing upon the findings of the evidence review, the qualitative element, and the bespoke survey of renters, the research team undertook an innovative co-production study. The team worked with private renters to co-design recommendations for change in the Scottish private rental sector.
Through this process, we identified 20 recommendations for changes in the Scottish private rental sector. These include the following:
Affordability: renters’ wanted more security and certainty regarding the rent and its affordability. Renter’s wanted to see new guidance to be issued on what “fairness” is in regards to rent increases.
Property conditions and repairs: renters’ wanted better service and information in relation to repairs. We worked with renters to develop an outline idea of a repair severity rating scale to provide timeframes for certain types of repair - such as lack of heating.
Landlord and agent professionalism: recommendations included limited the frequency of property inspections to improve the sense of home and to introduce a dispute resolution service for the PRS.