Action–reaction. Survival strategies of tenants and landlords in the private rental sector in Belgium

Jana Verstraete and Marjan Moris

Housing Studies, 2019, vol. 34, issue 4, 588-608

Abstract: The private rental sector (PRS) is growing in many Western countries after a period of decline. In Belgium, a renewed policy interest in the PRS emerges and the sector is believed to play an important role in addressing housing needs of low-income households. Steering these households to the PRS is however not without problems. The supply side of the market is not necessarily willing to accommodate vulnerable renters. Landlords and real estate brokers install mechanisms to exclude financially vulnerable households throughout the entire rental procedure. These in turn develop (counter)strategies to get round the obstacles and to increase their chances. In this article, we apply an interactional perspective to study the interplay of strategies developed by both sides of the market. The article is based on 58 in-depth interviews with landlords and brokers, testimonies of low-income tenants from 15 focus groups plus 5 in-depth interviews about the influence of different discrimination grounds on their private rental experiences.

Date: 2019
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:taf:chosxx:v:34:y:2019:i:4:p:588-608

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DOI: 10.1080/02673037.2018.1458290

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