Residential satisfaction of private tenants in China's superstar cities: The case of Shenzhen, China

• Published in: Cities Vol. 118; p. 103355
• Main Authors: Li, Bo, Jin, Chi, Jansen, Sylvia J.T., van der Heijden, Harry, Boelhouwer, Peter
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.11.2021; Elsevier Science Ltd
• Subjects: Cities; Commercial rented housing; Home ownership; Housing needs; Housing policy; Landlords; Lessors; Long-term rented apartment; Policy making; Polls & surveys; Private tenants; Renewal; Rentals; Residential satisfaction; Satisfaction; Structure of housing provision; Submarkets; Superstar cities; Tenants; Urban renewal; Urban village; Variance analysis; China; Urban village; Superstar cities; Residential satisfaction; Long-term rented apartment; Private tenants; Structure of housing provision; Commercial rented housing
• ISSN: 0264-2751; 1873-6084
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cities.2021.103355

In recent years, Chinese housing policies have been shifting from encouraging homeownership toward developing the private rented sector, especially in the superstar cities. Nevertheless, what are the target groups and characteristics of private rental housing in Chinese superstar cities, and whether the private rental housing is capable of meeting private tenants' housing needs remain unclear. This paper attempts to bridge this gap from the tenant perspective by examining the determinants of private tenants' residential satisfaction. We argue that residential satisfaction should be examined within different submarkets. By adopting the Structure of Housing Provision thesis, we identified three main sub-sectors in China's superstar cities, i.e. urban village housing, commercial rented housing, and Long-term Rented Apartment (LTRA). Based on a questionnaire survey in Shenzhen, we examined the characteristics of the three subsectors and tenants living in each sub-sector. Furthermore, we evaluated whether the residential satisfaction levels varied significantly in different sub-sectors and the determinants of residential satisfaction in each sub-sector. The results of an ANOVA showed that tenants living in commercial rented housing and LTRAs were more satisfied than those living in urban village housing. The regression results showed that the determinants of residential satisfaction vary considerably among different sub-sectors. The results of this paper can be useful not only for the landlords to improve tenants' residential satisfaction but also for policy-makers engaged in private rental market development and urban renewal. •The private rented sector can be categorized into different sub-sectors.•Residential satisfaction of private tenants should be examined within different sub-sectors.•Private tenants in Shenzhen are generally satisfied with their residential environment.•Tenants living in urban villages are less satisfied than those living in commercial housing and Long-term Rented Apartments.•Determinants of residential satisfaction vary in different sub-sectors.