Opening Doors to Affordable Rental Housing: Perspectives of Private Suburban Owners With Unused Housing Space

This article examines the potential for more affordable housing of privately owned unused housing space in the Munich Metropolitan Region. In order to explore the perspectives on homeownership, tenancy, and renting out, the qualitative assessment is based on interviews with private suburban owners in a rural district within the Munich conurbation sampled with a focus on local and long-term unused housing space with the potential to rent out. The interviews were conducted as part of the project “WohL – Wohnungsleerstand wandeln (Worthy Places From Unused Spaces).” The results indicate that, on the one hand, there is a low potential to activate unused housing spaces for affordable housing, but on the other hand, there are considerable obstacles that stem from the owners’ perspective on their properties. Despite expressing a general openness to renting at below-market rates, private suburban owners express concerns and often reject the idea of renting out. There is an interplay of concerns over tenant-related risks, life achievements, and a cautious approach toward renting out that are considered with profit motives against the desire for personal serenity and unrestricted disposal of property. Trust and a wish for ownership autonomy play an important role in renting out, as security, peace of mind, and control are balanced against financial gain. Private suburban owners voice a strong preference for tenants from their personal networks.