COVID-19 as a disruption to China’s ‘tenure neutrality’ initiative? State-accentuated tenure inequality and rental sector precarity during the pandemic

In early 2020, while China’s centralised governance response rapidly brought COVID-19 under control, tenure inequality and private rental sector precarity continued unabated. Drawing on stakeholder interviews in Shanghai, nation-wide renter complaints analysis, and a review of government pandemic reactions, this paper reveals the stark contrast between the neglect of renters’ rights and stringent public health measures. Under this prevailing governance model, renters’ wellbeing – including the right to secure occupancy – was effectively over-ridden during the COVID-19 emergency. This approach will have further degraded the reputation and appeal of rental tenure, detracting from state aspirations for greater equality between renting and owner-occupation – the Chinese Government’s ‘tenure neutrality’ initiative, ongoing since 2017. The study highlights how pandemic responses exacerbated existing housing inequalities and argues for proactive government commitments to protect marginalised populations’ secure occupancy and avoid accentuating tenure inequality during crisis periods.