Research Shows Renting Is Aging You Fast

Research shows renting is aging you fast.  What?  How?

Here are the details.  This was research done by Australians on people in the UK.  Here’s what they discovered.  People who rent their home, as opposed to owning it outright, age faster than people that are currently unemployed or who’ve previously smoked.

Apparently, the “stress” of renting, things like not having the money for rent, being exposed to environmental hazards, along with the hassle of moving and the “stigma” of renting causes biological aging at a rate 100% more than unemployment and 50% more than smoking.  Research found that renting has “real and significant consequences for health”

The researchers relied on blood samples from nearly 1500 participants.  The study found that if there were more favorable polices towards people that rent, like ending “no fault” evictions, limiting rent increases and improving housing conditions, the aging could slow down.

To get even more specific, being a renter adds two and a half weeks to their biological age each year.

With all that being said, I’ve never owned a home.  My parents never owned a home and I’ve always wondered how much that played a role in my decisions.  I’ve always come back to money, but there could be other reasons as well.  So, I’ve ALWAYS lived in a rented home.  I don’t think I’m aging any faster than I would have had I owned a home.  If we’re being honest, I think owning a home might age me more.  Digging into the specifics of this research, and we talked about this on the air, it’s possible the condition of the homes and apartments in the UK might have something to do with these results.  We’ve not lived in a building that seemed unhealthy, mold, moisture and such.  Maybe that’s more prevalent over there.

Anyway, I thought this was an interesting study with interesting results.  What are your thoughts?