The report explores the diverse housing journeys of tenants, highlighting insecurity, financial strain, and emotional impacts of private renting, alongside aspirations and mobility patterns in Suffolk.
Relationships: Tenant–landlord relationships vary widely, influencing security, repairs, and wellbeing; issues include power imbalance, agent responsiveness, discrimination, and community support networks.
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Approaches: Landlords vary in style—some manage everything themselves, others use agents. Many prefer long-term tenants and allow personalisation of homes. Renovations are common, though costly.
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Future Plans: Landlords weigh future options based on financial returns, legislation, market pressures, personal impact, and long-term plans, with motivations ranging from profit to social purpose.
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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.
The housing journeys of younger tenants, those under 40 for the purposes of this report, began with their families, quite often in social housing. Others grew up in the private rented sector, with parents who were homeowners or in occupation related accommodation. Most interviewees had rented privately since leaving family homes and consider it the norm. Some on higher incomes aspire to homeownership but most think it will remain unaffordable. Social housing is perceived as for those with the most severe housing problems, and few thought they met the criteria.
Across the age groups, tenants regularly endured multiple moves due to the changing circumstances of landlords. This caused anxiety and stress, was inconvenient and expensive. Along with removal costs, deposits had to be found, while previous experiences meant professional cleaners were engaged to ensure deposits for the current rental are returned. Each move adds to a feeling of insecurity that can affect health and wellbeing, especially when coinciding with other stressful life events that increase vulnerability.
Several older tenants had previously been homeowners, with relationship breakdowns a common factor forcing them to privately rent. Women especially felt their choices constrained, with insufficient wealth or income to buy a new home and finding themselves low priority for social housing. Relationship breakdowns could cause acute financial problems, even bankruptcy. Most felt these stressful life events that preceded a move put them on a downward housing trajectory, often accompanied by sadness, resentment, a sense of injustice, or a feeling of ‘losing everything’ and having to start again.
For some tenants moving to their current private rental represented a relative upward trajectory. Even after separations, new relationships saw couples increase their satisfaction with life by privately renting together. For some of those who have experienced homelessness, finding a private rental provided relief from temporary accommodation, or a series of unsatisfactory, unstable housing situations, leading to a greater feeling of security and satisfaction.
Though some tenants were initially relieved from homelessness, they had little choice but to take the first affordable and available option and the cycle of insecurity began again. Others moved from one property in poor condition to another, or into chaotic HMOs. Several tenants had suffered severe psychological trauma linked to their housing situations, one describing living in a property so dilapidated it was completely unfit for habitation.
Two households had moved to social housing after stressful life events – the death of a partner for one and serious financial problems for another. Both households then moved to the private rented sector after experiencing anti-social behaviour where they lived.
Some housing histories, going back to childhood, were largely confined to one geographical area, while others had been more mobile due to jobs, personal circumstances, or lifestyle. Private renting offered flexibility and choice, while several had lived in properties tied to jobs. Older tenants especially were now looking for greater stability.
Many tenants had moved to Suffolk, either for work or study, both from abroad and within the UK. A few moved from neighbouring areas where rents were higher – from Cambridge to West Suffolk, Norwich to Lowestoft, or Essex to Mid-Suffolk. Others were looking for lifestyle changes, including retirees and those still working, sometimes returning to Suffolk having lived elsewhere. Family dynamics can be a complicating factor. While some couples with older children wanted to move closer to them, and to grandchildren, the family relations others had experienced meant they wanted to be less easily accessible.
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.
Tenant–landlord relationships vary widely, influencing security, repairs, and wellbeing; issues include power imbalance, agent responsiveness, discrimination, and community support networks.
A sense of home can help tenants thrive, and depends on personalisation, pets, gardens, community, and security; restrictions, instability, and stigma undermine identity and wellbeing.
Most landlords started with personal circumstances—inheritance, savings, or wanting to help family. A few were driven by social values, aiming to house people in need.
