Experiences of 'home' in the Irish private rental sector: a qualitative research study of the experience of tenants during the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has had impacts across housing systems; indeed there is scarcely any aspect of housing which has remained untouched. Housing has been central to public health responses since March 2020 and the events of the past year have given a new urgency to 'home' as a refuge, shelter and place of safety. This research examines the experiences of tenants in the Irish private rental sector during the pandemic. In particular, it asks to what extent tenants experienced their dwellings as 'homes' and identifies the factors which undermine the experience of home. It also looks at the moratorium on evictions in terms of how it impacted tenants' experience of 'secure occupancy'. The research draws on 35 qualitative interviews carried out in Spring 2021. The research finds that many tenants did not enjoy access to a secure home during the COVID-19 pandemic. The main reasons for this are the absence of secure occupancy, poor quality dwellings, and the inability to control or personalise dwellings. The research also finds that the blanket eviction ban, while successful in terms of its immediate objectives, had a limited impact on tenants' experience of security. This is due to three factors: the temporary nature of the ban; the belief among some tenants that landlords may not comply with the legislation; and the way in which the relationship between landlord and tenant impacts tenants' experiences. The research raises important questions about tenure inequality (i.e. the ways in which access to and experience of home is particularly problematic for PRS tenants) during, and beyond, the COVID-19 pandemic.