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Are we listening to what working Londoners actually want from housing?
London renters are often talked about, but is it understood what their priorities are when it comes to housing? Here, Olivia Harris reflects on an enlightening survey
At times, many of us within the sector are guilty of making decisions – especially when developing new homes – based on what we think we know rather than an evidence-based understanding of what consumers want and value in their new homes.
We at Dolphin are no less guilty of this when it comes to delivering the homes that we believe our intermediate rent tenants want.
The ‘for-sale side’ of housing development sees product expressly designed and developed for what consumers want to purchase, as demonstrated through extensive market research and analysis. However, it seems in the rental sector we rely upon design guidelines and other legislation as well as our personal opinions. At a recent build-to-rent conference, out of 250 delegates only one was a renter.
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So, in the build-to-rent sector it is (older) homeowners making decisions that affect (younger) renters.
The good news is that there are an increasing number of surveys on market renters and one of the key factors identified in choosing a home is price.
It is therefore a glaring omission that very little thought seems to have been given to the views and needs of renters who cannot afford market rent.
Included in that are those who have to endure long commutes, live in housing that does not meet their needs, remain living with their parents, or otherwise make compromises that previous generations have not had to make.
It is these renters – median earners who cannot afford market housing and cannot access social housing – whose needs are most ignored by political parties. These are the workers in London that Dolphin Living was created for.
In order to test the understanding of what is currently available and to determine what they really want in terms of location, affordability and facilities, Dolphin Living commissioned YouGov to undertake a piece of research among 1,000 people who work in London and do not own their own home.
This research sought to glean the views of London’s working renters on modest incomes across a range factors which influence their choice in the type of home they want to live in, and also gauge their awareness of the types of affordable homes available.
The results of this research have made for fascinating reading and have certainly tested some of the assumptions we have been making on issues relating to design, the provision of facilities and even an awareness of affordable housing in general.
Perhaps the most interesting outcome is that, aside from affordability, location overwhelmingly outweighs design as a priority, with almost two in three working Londoners choosing Zone 2 as the most appealing location to live.
From analysing the findings further, we established that the key driver was commute times, with 56% ranking commuting time as a top priority for choosing where to live.
Furthermore, 55% of respondents ranked public transport within a 10-minute walk as one of their top three priorities.
“Undoubtedly one of the strongest findings to emerge was the very strong desire of working Londoners to own a home within London, at just over three-quarters”
Even more fascinating was that over 90% would prioritise their commute time compared to the size of their rented property.
To give this context, 92% of working Londoners consider that their commute time should be no more than one hour, with three in 10 preferring 30 minutes or less.
Looking to the outer London boroughs to provide more housing does not appear to be meeting the priorities or needs of London’s renters.
If location was the key driver, then design was the issue which was considered a relatively low priority for working Londoners, with less than 9% ranking it first.
Issues relating to security and connectivity ranked highly, with the former being considered the most important building amenity over access to a shared garden, on-site parking or even bicycle storage. While for younger professionals high-speed internet connectivity was rated highly, overall there was more of a focus on energy efficiency for older renters.
Surprisingly to us there was a general unawareness of the types of affordable housing available, with only one in 10 having heard of intermediate rent and only a little over a third holding any awareness relating to the provision of social housing.
“If rental is going to remain the long-term housing option for those on modest incomes, politicians and those responsible for housing policy need to act now to increase supply and the offer to workers on modest incomes”
Undoubtedly one of the strongest findings to emerge was the very strong desire of working Londoners to own a home within London, at just over three-quarters. This translated into a relatively high level of awareness among those interviewed of shared ownership schemes.
However, many believed that they would be unable to achieve their ambition in the future.
If rental is going to remain the long-term housing option for those on modest incomes, politicians and those responsible for housing policy need to act now to increase supply and the offer to workers on modest incomes. This should not just be in London but in other locations where market housing is unaffordable to many.
As we absorb the findings of our research, it is becoming clear to us that we not only need to raise the level of awareness of the availability of intermediate rental products among working Londoners, but we need to identify and deliver new homes within locations they actually want to live in. In addition, we must prioritise security, space and connectivity over the look and feel of the development.
Certainly going forward this is something we will be reflecting upon.
Olivia Harris, chief executive, Dolphin Living
