Renters ‘more depressed than homeowners’

They also have a lower subjective quality of later life

People who rent their homes have more symptoms of depression and lower levels of wellbeing than those who live in owned homes, researchers have found. The study by The University of Manchester looked at the “housing careers” of 7,500 people in England over the age of 50. They found that living in rented accommodation for longer – or owning accommodation for shorter lengths of time – is linked with more symptoms of depression and lower subjective quality of later life. They said this strengthens the idea that living in rented housing for longer exposes people to more risks in terms of health and wellbeing because housing quality is lower. The research found that people with the lowest wellbeing grew up in a privately owned house and then rented for the rest of their lives. Those with the highest wellbeing were born abroad and bought their own homes early in adult life. Excerpt from Health Insurance Daily, read the full article here.