Household residential satisfaction in Luxembourg is a subjective approach based on the evaluation of factors related to housing and place of residence that contribute to individuals' residential satisfaction. This approach provides an analysis of the adequacy of housing from an individual point of view and complements the 'classic' approach, which is based on normative presuppositions and uses objective indicators to estimate the proportion of households that are poorly housed.
For the Housing Observatory (Observatoire de l'Habitat), which is affiliated with the housing ministry, residential satisfaction "refers to the gap between an individual's residential aspirations and their current housing conditions as defined by objective or subjective indicators relating to the characteristics of the dwelling or the neighbourhood in which they live".
Dissatisfied renters
One of the highlights of a published this week, carried out between February and August 2023, is that housing conditions are less favourable overall for tenants. Tenants are more often dissatisfied with their accommodation than owners. All the more so because they receive no housing benefit. This dissatisfaction is reflected in three indicators.
The first relates to the size of the property. The Housing Observatory notes that "owners generally live in larger homes than tenants. The difference between owner and tenant respondents is fifteen square metres for flats and 27 square metres for houses. Furthermore, tenant respondents are more likely to live in accommodation of less than 50 square metres.”
The second indicator: 60% of tenants say they have 'at least one problem' with their accommodation. The most recurrent problem for tenants is poor soundproofing. This is followed by thermal insulation problems, mould in window frames and walls, water infiltration, a faulty heating system and defective plumbing.
The third indicator is the the proportion of housing costs spent in relation to net household income, which can be as high as 40% of income for households receiving no state assistance and not benefiting from 'affordable' housing.
26% of tenants in receipt of subsidies and 14% of tenants not in receipt of subsidies admit to having had difficulty covering housing costs at least once in the last 12 months. This problem is less common among homeowners. Only 8% of homeowners who do not receive home ownership assistance and 14% of homeowners who do receive such assistance are affected.
In terms of home satisfaction, it is the following points that crystallise dissatisfaction: energy consumption, the quality of interior materials, the size of the home, its style, the view and the layout of the rooms. On all these points, it is tenants who most frequently express dissatisfaction.
Register of rental properties
To remedy the poor perceived quality of rented accommodation, "particularly due to poor insulation (acoustic and thermal) and the presence of mould", the Housing Observatory recommends better monitoring of the conditions of rented accommodation, whether in the private sector or the affordable housing sector.
According to the research outfit, this could involve setting up a register of homes rented on the private market in order "to be able to monitor changes in the characteristics of this segment of the market, which remains under-studied in Luxembourg", and "implementing measures to improve the quality of rental housing managed by private landlords".
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The Housing Observatory also called for the launch of "more in-depth studies into residential choices and the potential mismatch between the type of housing on the market and that required by households", which would help to reduce the mismatch between housing supply and demand and residential choices. It said that these choices are "constrained", with only 32% of tenants in receipt of subsidies and 44% of tenants not in receipt of subsidies believing that they can choose the characteristics of their home.
Finally, the report called for targeted action to improve the living environment in residential areas--action to improve the supply of local shops and pollution levels--as well as an overall reflection on the future of these areas, based on the needs and expectations of future residents. "A critical reflection on the principles of functional mix and the quarter-hour city."
Read the original French version of this article