Playing Happy Families? Private Renting for Middle-Income Households with Children in London, Berlin and New York

摘要

Studies have shown that even in countries with low overall rates of owner occupation, families with children overwhelmingly aspire to home ownership. However there are some cities - bin particular Berlin and New York - where middle-income families do live for long periods in private rented accommodation. In London there were traditionally few middle-income families in this tenure but this is now changing rapidly. Difference in rent regulation, tenure security and availability of mortgage finance can explain some of this variation, but there may also be important behavioural and attitudinal factors at work. This article, based on a series of structured interviews with family private renters in New York, Berlin and London, examines the relative importance of financial and other factors to families' tenure decisions.