Project overview

Renting is a controversial property relation. Rises in renting cars and clothes are often celebrated as part of the rise of the “sharing” economy; on the other hand, there is considerable public anxiety about “Generation Rent,” those renting housing because they can’t afford to buy. Despite public interest, and existing work in adjacent disciplines, political philosophers have neglected renting. My research takes up the topic through an exploration of the relationship between renting and justice. I consider the importance of renting for liberal egalitarian theories of justice, and, more specifically, argue for the importance of renting in a just society.