One in three tenants who left municipal rental apartments in Gothenburg said a planned renovation was a main factor in their decision to move, a new study finds. The research shows that many residents chose to vacate even before physical works began, signalling that anticipation of change can be as decisive as the actual on-site disruption. Concerns cited by the study include uncertainty about the process and unclear information from landlords, which appear to weigh as heavily as potential rent hikes.
The pattern documented suggests a complex decision-making process among tenants facing upgrades. Rather than a single trigger, departures often reflect a combination of worries about the predictability of renovation schedules, the expected level of disturbance and how information is communicated. The finding that departures frequently occur before construction starts points to anticipatory reactions to perceived risks rather than experience of the works themselves. The role of communication is underlined by the study’s emphasis on unclear information as a key factor.
The implications extend beyond individual moves. When a sizeable share of tenants leave in connection with upgrades, municipal landlords may face altered occupancy dynamics and challenges in meeting social housing objectives. Turnover can complicate project planning and may affect the availability of affordable units during and after renovation phases. These outcomes are particularly relevant for cities balancing the technical need to renew building stock with goals to preserve stable, mixed communities within the public housing sector. The research reframes renovation-related displacement as a multifaceted issue involving both financial and non-financial drivers.
The analysis was carried out by Chalmers University of Technology, which highlights the importance of addressing disruption, uncertainty and information gaps alongside cost considerations. For municipal landlords and policy makers, the study signals that measures aimed at improving predictability and clarity around renovation processes could influence tenants’ relocation choices as much as rent policy. Its findings offer a data-based starting point for revising how major upgrades are planned and communicated in the social housing sector.
