Who Wants to be a Landlord? Factors that Affect the Inclination of Israeli Households to Rent out Property

Abstract

The supply of rental housing is by and large provided by landlord households. Little is understood about the factors, beyond financial portfolio considerations, that affect the inclination of people or households to become landlords. Studies of the American rental market have pointed to differences across income, wealth, ethnicity, and education in the willingness to rent out residential property to others. Here, we examine the question for Israel. We find that income and wealth are positively associated with the inclination to be a landlord. Education has an effect in Israel in contrast to the US (and Australia). Human capital in Israel appears to complement with rental property capital, unlike the case for the US and Australia, where they appear to be substitutes. In most cases, rental property in Israel and housing capital in the landlord’s primary residence appear to be complementary. Ethnic minorities and new immigrants are under-represented among landlords. For households who own rental property, the income from such rentals is empirically analyzed.
 

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