Private renting leads to ‘faster biological ageing’ than obesity

DNA analysis suggests psychological stress caused by housing circumstances has long-term impact
Renting in the private sector speeds up biological ageing twice as quickly as obesity (File picture)
PA Archive
Daniel Keane11 October 2023

Renting in the private sector speeds up biological ageing twice as quickly as obesity, a study has found.

Researchers from the University of Essex and University of Adelaide in Australia found that private renting can negatively impact health significantly more than owning your own home or being in social housing.

Biological ageing refers to the decline in functioning of the body’s tissues and cells, irrespective of a person’s actual age.

Previous studies have suggested that biological ageing can accelerate during stressful events and reverse once the stress has stopped.

Writing in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, the researchers said the “stress-induced acceleration of epigenetic ageing” may contribute to the long-known link between psychological stress and disease.

This shows how housing circumstances can “get under the skin with real and significant consequences for health”, they added.

“Perhaps most notable, and robust, is the faster ageing identified among private renters.

“Despite the stigmatisation of the tenure, social renting, with its lower cost and greater security of tenure, was not found to differ from outright ownership in terms of association with biological ageing…

“We posit that this may be related to the psychosocial benefits of additional security of tenure provided to social tenants.”

Living in a privately rented home was associated with faster ageing at nearly half the rate of that associated with current smoking and twice that with obesity, the study found.

Around 4.61 million households live in privately rented accommodation, according to Statista. The figure has more than doubled in twenty years amid a shortage of affordable housing.

The researchers examined data on housing and DNA methylation (a chemical marker of DNA changes) from the UK household Longitudinal Study, linked with prior survey responses from the British Household Panel Survey (BHPS).

They looked at factors including the length of tenancy, building type, the Government financial support available to renters and housing costs.

“We find that living in a privately rented home is related to faster biological ageing,” they concluded.

“Importantly, the impact of private renting is greater than the impact of experiencing unemployment or being a former smoker vs never smoker.

“When we include historical housing circumstances in the analysis, we find that repeated housing arrears and exposure to pollution/environmental problems are also associated with faster biological ageing.”

However, the team pointed out that biological ageing is reversible and that housing policy had “significant potential” to improve health.

They recommended policies to “reduce the stress and uncertainty associated with private renting”, such as ending ‘no-fault’ evictions and limiting rent increases and improving conditions.

Dan Wilson Craw, the deputy chief executive of the campaign group Generation Rent, said: “Our home is so important to our health. Uncertainty about how long we can live somewhere is stressful, while disrepair and damp conditions make us physically ill.

“Private renters, who face the threat of arbitrary eviction and live in the worst quality housing, are particularly vulnerable to poor health as a result. As more older people have no option but to rent, policymakers need to act urgently.”

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