I’m young but have no interest in the British cult of home ownership. I just want renting to be fair

theguardian.com:

M y housemates and I were confronted with a no-fault eviction notice in September, and so I spent last New Year’s Eve hauling my possessions across south London, moving back into my family home on a social housing estate. It was a degrading experience. Moving back home felt like a step backwards in my mid-20s, but I was facing price increases of at least 75% if I went back into the rental market, so I swallowed my pride.

When I’ve lamented being evicted from my flat, one answer I’ve received back a few times is: “Well, now you’re home you can save for a deposit and buy a property, and then you won’t have to worry about that again.”

But I don’t have any desire to buy a house. If there was an option for stable, long-term renting in the UK, I’d take it. I know it sounds mad. To many, not viewing your youth as a slow march towards the housing ladder seems to betray a lack of aspiration. Young prospective homeowners, after all, occupy a political battleground, with both major parties attempting to refine their offers to “first-time buyers”.

But even having faced the rough edges of the rental market, I can’t help but feel that the cult of home ownership is an imposition on young people: when you get down to the real reasons people want to buy homes, how much of it comes down to genuine desire, and how much of it is force of circumstance?

The drive to save hard and buy as soon as possible partly comes down to how unreliable and poor the rental market is. Escalating rents, no protection from no-fault evictions, few rights for tenants and little to no freedom to redecorate or even have pets. All these are reasons why people aspire to own their own homes, as well as the promise of long-term security in your retirement, when you’re