The capacity of low income private renters to successfully sustain tenancies is an emerging policy issue about which little is yet known. Responding to this, the research asked: under what conditions can low income private tenants successfully sustain tenancies across life events and housing transitions, and what policy interventions can most effectively support this?

Informed by the ‘housing pathways’ approach, the research involved an innovative mix of quantitative and qualitative methods. Longitudinal analysis of the HILDA survey examined the impact of life events and housing transitions on the capacity of low income private tenants to sustain tenancies. Interviews with low income private tenants in Melbourne, Sydney and Perth examined tenant perceptions, motivations and strategies around sustaining tenancies. Fifteen interviews with key expert practitioners and two policy development workshops facilitated high level policy engagement throughout the life of the project.