Not All Renters Are the Same

Connections between renting, and plans to buy, and well-being

A 2025 study by Anthony Piscitelli, entitled, "Clustering Ontario Renters" gives us a nuanced look at the diverse landscape of renters in Ontario, and it is relevant for understanding housing challenges in places like Halton Region.

The research challenges stereotypes that paint renters as a monolithic group.

Through survey data and rigor factor and cluster analysis, the research identifies five distinct renter-types in Ontario in 2024:

1. Former Buyers – older individuals who have bought before (or tried), now renting

2. Active Buyers – renters who are planning to buy and have taken steps, such as securing pre-approval on a mortgage, to begin to find a home to purchase

3. Planning Buyers – those who intend to buy but have yet to take active steps

4. Considering Planning Renters- who may or may not buy someday; not actively doing so yet

5. Not Planning Renters - who do not believe they will ever own a home.

These groups are not just about “can they afford to buy?”, instead the study compares them across well-being, neighbourhood satisfaction, institutional trust, and more, for example:

• Former Buyers, on average, show the highest home satisfaction and economic resilience.

• Active Buyers and Planning Buyers, while optimistic about their prospects, show some moderate well-being: they are engaged in the process of saving or searching, but their housing quality and economic security are still constrained by current market conditions

• Considering Planning renters fall in the middle, expressing uncertainty about long-term housing prospects, which can dampen their sense of neighbourhood belonging and perceived stability

• Not Planning Renters consistently shows the lowest levels of happiness, economic resilience, and institutional trust, paired with poorer housing quality and weaker neighbourhood attachment.

Age and savings differ too: Planning Buyers are among the youngest but have saved the highest down payments: Active Buyers are already taking steps but do not have as much saved as Planning Buyers.

Together, these patterns highlight that renters’ intentions and their perceived ability to buy are closely linked to their sense of well-being, security, and trust in the institutions that shape their housing futures.

For local policymakers and nonprofits:

• Knowing that there are “Active Buyers” versus “Not Planning” renters could help tailor supports (financial counselling, down-payment workshops, tenant advocacy).

• Planning Buyers are saving up – they could benefit from first-time homebuyer programs, but only if those programs are accessible and realistic in the housing market.

• Active Buyers might respond well to formal housing-policy forums, while Not Planning renters may need more grassroots, trust-building outreach.

• Not Planning Renters may feel “stuck” believing they cannot ever own. This group could be prioritized in affordable rental policy, rent assistance, or community programs that build financial resilience.

The link between type of renter and well-being suggests that housing is not just about cost, it is also about belonging, satisfaction, and life stability. This research gives us better language and better understanding of renters’ lived experience, which is the foundation for more equitable, effective housing policy.