Secure occupancy in rental housing: conceptual foundations and comparative perspectives

This report is concerned with the nature of housing occupancy for households that rent, particularly low-income and vulnerable households. It describes and compares provisions for secure occupancy across a variety of rental systems in Australia and similarly developed countries, and attempts to interpret to what extent such provisions are adequate and appropriate to the needs of households, especially those who rely on renting for significant periods (or all) of their lives.To inform and broaden consideration of this current policy issue in Australia, the study’s methodology has been designed to enable an assessment of the means by, and the extent to which, secure occupancy in rental housing is provided in a cross- section of local and international jurisdictions. The primary aims of the study are to explore how different types of rental systems shape the nature of occupancy, and to generate new ways of thinking about secure occupancy and policy settings to help promote this in Australia.