Chapter 9 The housing careers of younger adults and intergenerational support in Germany’s ‘society of renters’

Through narrative interviews with younger adults and their parents ,
this paper explores how the housing transitions of younger adults,
both within the rental sector and into homeownership, are shaped
through intergenerational intra-family support in Germany’s
society of renters. Our fi ndings highlight the profound qualitative
diff erences between regular transfers for establishing and retaining
residential independence in the rental sector and inter vivos gifts for
house purchase. Where the former support type is given and taken
unconditionally, transfers for house purchase follow a diff erent
logic and carry diff erent meanings. Being a necessary condition for
property acquisition at young age, they have the power to completely
rebalance family relations and undermine younger adults’ autonomy
accordingly. In an aggregate perspective, our study further suggests
increasing socio-spatial inequalities within the younger generation
which run along both class and spatial origin, sharply dividing the
housing market opportunities of ‘original Berliners’ and those who
have moved to the city from more affl uent regions in Germany.