Living in a privately rented home is linked to more rapid biological ageing, according to researchers who tested DNA and found the tenure is associated with twice the ageing effect of obesity and half that of smoking.
The peer-reviewed study of 1,420 UK householders found housing circumstances can “get under the skin” with significant consequences for health, said academics at the University of Essex and the University of Adelaide . Their findings were published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.
It’s easy for things to go sour though. I’ve a friend whose landlord comes on spontaneous visits each week. He doesn’t schedule them, he just unlocks the door and invites himself in. None of the tenants like it but they’re worried about bringing up the issue because they’ve nowhere else to live and thus don’t want to sour the relationship with their landlord.
I live in Sweden. That type of private landlordism exists here too, but I’ve made a point to avoid renting from them for precisely that reason. I’d prefer to rent from the government but the wait lists are too long, so private companies is the only option that remains. It’s expensive, but I can lean on the tenants union if the company doesn’t provide what they are contractually obliged to provide. As such I don’t have to worry about the whims of a singular individual, and there’s no “relationship” as such to sour.
There are obviously downsides, but I prefer a more formal/clinical approach you just can’t get when renting from individuals.