Tenant experiences of affordability range from managing with careful budgeting to severe financial strain, often influenced by rent levels, benefits, and life circumstances.
Security of tenure: Tenants’ security of tenure varies; trust, pragmatism, and stability aid wellbeing, while landlord changes, Section 21 notices, and precarity fuel anxiety.
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Policy needs: Landlords can feel stigmatised and believe recent legislation favours tenants. They emphasise collaborative approaches like education, peer support and initiatives such as Safe Suffolk Renters.
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Tenants face varied affordability challenges, balancing rent with sacrifices, benefits reliance, arrears risks, and barriers to moving or homeownership despite budgeting efforts.
Perceptions of affordability varied widely, with many longer-term tenants appreciative that landlords had not increased the rent for several years. Most of those receiving housing benefit, or universal credit to supplement lower incomes, were able to meet rental costs, sometimes by constraining other aspects of spending. Some on universal credit said they were concerned that improving their family’s earned income, by mothers going back to work for example, might mean they were worse off overall when housing costs were taken into consideration. One student relied on being exceptionally good at budgeting, especially with the flat being unfurnished and wanting to live on their own, while another juggled part-time jobs.
Others were concerned about imminent increases making rent unaffordable.
Tenants paying around the market rate described having to make difficult trade-offs, including cutting back on other areas of spending or missing family holidays and social activities. Other tenants found their rent to be a significant financial burden, struggling to afford it, watching life savings, or the proceeds from a house sale disappear. Others adopted frugal lifestyles including a pensioner whose dog provides essential company.
Another tenant who is self-employed fell into rent arrears when a large client failed to pay a bill, triggering major financial implications. Had the tenant been given more time they could have resolved the situation, however the landlord served notice, and the tenant was evicted.
Although tenants were grateful for rents being kept low, some recognised that this has meant falling behind the market. This could make it difficult for them to contemplate moving, sometimes from less-than-ideal properties, especially when the cost of moving was added.
Paying market rents made it difficult, or nearly impossible, for most tenants hoping to buy their own home. Most had worked out they would be able to afford mortgage payments but were not able to save enough for a deposit. This was particularly the case for those with children, although people living on their own pointed out the cost-of-living challenges peculiar to single people. One tenant who did successfully move into shared ownership was only able to do so with financial help from parents.
Safe Suffolk Renters’ valuable resources and advice will help you rent your home with confidence.
Our research collected more detailed information on key themes which are illustrated with case studies.
Tenants’ security of tenure varies; trust, pragmatism, and stability aid wellbeing, while landlord changes, Section 21 notices, and precarity fuel anxiety.
Landlords can feel stigmatised and believe recent legislation favours tenants. They emphasise collaborative approaches like education, peer support and initiatives such as Safe Suffolk Renters.
Private renting has many types of housing journey; frequent moves and insecurity persist. Life events can trigger downward or upward trajectories, shaping financial strain, wellbeing, and a search for stability.
