Dwellings, development & debts: Rental housing production and livelihoods of small-scale private landlords in Ambedkar Nagar, Chennai

Across India, the population of cities is rising and there is a growing need for more affordable housing options, especially for the urban poor. Rental housing is often a cheaper and more accessible option for both new immigrants to cities and current residents. One of the largest producers of rental housing are small-scale private landlords. The city of Chennai in South Eastern India has many of these housing pressures as well as private landlords in lowerincome neighborhoods providing a range of rental options. This research aimed to gain more insight into factors affecting how rental accommodations are produced by small-scale private landlords as well as how renting out their property has impacted their livelihoods. A case study approach was used to gather more indepth knowledge of the sites and services neighborhood of Ambedkar Nagar in Chennai experiencing increasing urban development in the surrounding areas. The primary method for data collection was semi-structured interviews with landlords, residents, professionals working in the neighborhood, and experts in housing research and advocacy. The research findings have shown that there is accessible informal financing, construction labor, and building material markets. Housing quality has also largely improved for this group of landlords evidenced by their increased access to basic services compared to conditions in the past. However, the expansion of rental housing and the financial stability of these landlords has been hindered by cyclical and consistent personal and construction debts causing mixed results for the enhancement of their livelihoods and production of further rental housing. Lack of legal ownership for these landlords is a pervasive issue yet the continued investment in rental housing and upgradation as well as the government resettlement status of the neighborhood suggests high perceived tenure security. This research cannot be generalized but does provide additional insights into small-scale landlordism in the context of Ambedkar Nagar and how their housing production is connected to the history of this developing neighborhood.