Changing roles of the state in the development of long-term rental apartments under a transitional housing regime in China

Abstract

Long-term rental apartments (LRAs) are booming in Chinese megacities in recent years, largely facilitated by various forms of state intervention in the private rental sector. Focusing on the state’s endeavours in promoting LRA development and incorporating it into the affordable rental housing scheme nationwide, this study explores the changing roles of the state in two stages of LRA development through the conceptual lens of housing regime. Drawing on a comprehensive policy analysis and a field investigation in Beijing, our major findings are threefold. First, two stages of LRA development—market-led under state supervision (from 2015 to 2019) and state-led development (after 2019) are identified, in which highly responsive state interventions were introduced to cope with the housing affordability crisis and maintain social stability. Second, the role of the state shifted from a facilitator to an active participant with the deepening involvement of state-owned enterprises in the rental housing market. Third, a transitional housing regime shifting from a productivist regime to a developmental regime is underway to achieve different socioeconomic goals. This study enriches our conceptual and empirical understanding of the latest episode of housing and land policies in response to the volatile political and socioeconomic climate by introducing a transitional housing regime in urban China.