Renting Is Making Young People Lonelier Than Ever

We might have made renting fair by spearheading the ban on letting agent fees, but there’s still a long way to go when it comes to making renting an enjoyable process. Since the generation Y is less likely than ever to get on the housing market, it’s imperative that renting a home isn’t as deplorable as it has become, yet the more we research the more we find that renting is causing more than just financial problems.

In fact, the latest report by the Office for National Statistics has found that renting is making young people lonelier than ever, with ‘younger renters with little trust and sense of belonging to their area’ having a high risk of loneliness.

Their report into loneliness in the UK has highlighted the most likely groups of people to feel lonely, and despite common assumptions that old people are the loneliest, they found that adults aged 16-24 feel lonely the most often.

With renters feeling lonelier than homeowners, statistics show that young renters are hard hit by loneliness. According to the report, it’s because they have little trust in their local area and don’t feel as if they belong to the community.

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When you really think about it, it’s not surprising. It’s difficult to have a sense of belonging in a community that you’ll most likely only live in for a few years, if you’re lucky enough to have a landlord, housemates and house that you actually want to stay in for that length of time.

Growing up in a family home, you immediately feel part of a community, you play in the streets, go to the local shops, study at the local school. However, as adults renting in an area where most likely you’ve found the cheapest, best option in relation to where you work and what you want from your area, it’s difficult not to see it as a temporary fix on the way to owning somewhere. And while we might not own a house for years, the mentality that renting is transitory is difficult to shake.

And it’s not just the community, but the house itself. With renting giving you little autonomy to make your house a home, you might not even feel a sense of belonging in your house. You may not get to know your neighbours, as you would feel obliged if you owned the house. You could even put off investing in the homeware appliances you should probably already own, because they’ll only add to the hassle of moving out. So, there’s no surprise we feel we don’t belong, and as a result, lonely.

Coupled with the fact that social media has made it easier than ever to avoid real human contact, the increasing loneliness that young people feel is a huge cause of concern. In 2015, a study into loneliness found that social isolation was associated with an increased risk for early death, especially in those younger than 65.

Loneliness isn’t something we can ignore, and if renting is making young people lonelier, it’s time more was invested in either fixing the housing crisis or ensuring the experience is less isolating. Whether it’s funding more activities that encourage social interaction in our local communities, or ensuring young people have better access to support if they do feel lonely, more must be done to tackle this growing issue.

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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.