Digital technology is transforming the way we live and work. The aim of this research is to understand how digital technology is being used within the private rented sector.

Home ownership is declining and over 20% of the UK population now lives in the private rented sector, set to rise further over the next decade. In 2017, the build-to-rent market attracted £2.4bn in investment and it is forecast to grow by a further 180% over the next six years (Trup, 2018).

Within the private rented sector, digital technology is increasingly being used to facilitate greater access and convenience, efficiency in management and a sense of community amongst residents. As the availability of this technology increases, and intersects with other societal shifts such as nomadic working patterns and later family formation, it is likely that future generations are going to live together in different ways to the households of the previous and current generations.

This project explores the use of digital technology in private rented accommodation. It considers the application of digital technology in three areas: access to properties, management of properties and lived experience.