Lifestyle Neighborhoods: The Semi-Exclusive World of Rental Gated Communities

This study looks at characteristics of rental gated communities in the United States from a national perspective and based on a case study of four Southwestern Counties, Riverside County and San Bernardino County in California, Maricopa County in Arizona, and Clark County, Nevada. Tenure differences between owned and rental gated communities are compared. The study also debates who actually benefits from rental gated communities and what that effect that has upon the community. This analysis is done by assessing whether minorities experience higher housing opportunities in rental gated communities newer, fast growing areas as the study area. Descriptive statistics of rental gated community characteristics are presented and neighborhood diversity indices are analyzed. The study finds that rental gated communities are much like their owned gated community counterparts and that new housing markets do not present better housing opportunities (at the neighborhood level)for minorities, particularly those neighborhoods with more rental gated properties present. Policy implications are discussed.