Luck and leaps of faith: The experience of lower income singles navigating the emergent shared economy for renting in Australia

Abstract            The growth of the Australian private rental sector continues to outpace all other formsof tenure. As a sector it houses growing numbers of single lower income personsincluding domestic and... [ view full abstract ]

Abstract           

The growth of the Australian private rental sector continues to outpace all other formsof tenure. As a sector it houses growing numbers of single lower income personsincluding domestic and international students, young home leavers, newsettlers, as well as increasing numbers of persons falling out of or unable toafford home ownership. This paper presents findings from Australian researchexamining the practices of lower income single renters navigating a burgeoningshared economy and emergent forms of renting as adaptations to rapid growth inrents and prices. The proliferation of online search and matching IT platformshas provided a conduit for the conversion of private dwelling spaces toexchangeable commodities that disrupt yet coexist with traditional privaterental practices. The housing security and capacity of single renters tonegotiate rental housing solutions are increasingly marked by chanceencounters, luck and leaps of faith rather than planned and linear housingstrategies for the future. The living arrangements of those entering informalrenting communities are moderated by emerging norms of practices that areunequally negotiated among those taking up or residing in the dwelling. Thoseon the outside of newly formalising ‘informal’ renting communities facedepleting housing options and extreme hardship.