5th ISA Forum of Sociology (6-11 July 2025)

The advent of neoliberalism has not only increased insecurity and precarity in the sphere of work but has also resulted in a substantial increase in housing precarity. The weakening of the welfare state has meant that the proportion of the population that can protect itself from precarity has declined significantly and it is no longer a marginal phenomenon. In many countries a sizeable segment of the population are now reliant on the private rental sector for their accommodation for an extended period or even lifelong. These households are often subject to constant insecurity. The eviction process can be formal – the forcible removal of a tenant via a court order. However, in most instances it is likely to be informal - where the tenant feels pressured to move for a range of reasons, the most common being a rent increase. The impacts of eviction, especially for low-income households, can be traumatic and wide-ranging. This session is interested in papers that examine the legal frameworks that lessen or facilitate landlord power; the process and consequences of eviction and how households resist eviction.