Life as an older renter and what it tells us about the urgent need for reform

It is getting harder for older renters to find adequate, appropriate and secure housing. Older women – the focus of my work – are at particular risk. This is due to longer life expectancy, lower incomes across the life course, and less access to benefits like superannuation. Women also experience a greater loss of income and housing standard than men do after relationship breakdown, and are at greater risk of domestic violence. Their stories point to the role of flaws in the Residential Tenancies Act in compounding housing insecurity.