Do Travel and Location Attitudes Differ Between Households Seeking Rental and Ownership Housing

Abstract

While tenure choice is often driven by economic factors like affordability and income stability, under-standing renters’ and owners’ behavioral differences, particularly in terms of travel and location attitudes, is crucial for land use and transportation research, as these shape mobility patterns, travel demand, and demand for rental and owned housing opportunities in an urban area. Earlier studies have considered commuting distance, sensitivity to accessibility, or commuting modes as the measure of differentiation. We hypothesize that travel and location-related attitudes of households searching for rental and owned accommodation also differ. This study explores these differences in depth. Based on the analysis of 459 recently moved households’ samples collected from Biddhanagar Municipal Corporation and Newtown (India), considerable differences in travel and location-related attitudes are found between households searching for rent and owned accommodation. The statistical tests suggest that households who search for owned accommodation generally have a positive attitude towards personal modes, far location from workplace, and the importance of dwelling characteristics over locational characteristics. In contrast, for renters, opposite attitudes are found to be significant. These findings are crucial to developing countries' sustainable land use and transportation policies.