Michael McCanless: Doctoral Dissertation Research: The Effects of Rentiership on Property Tax Valuation and Administration

The U.S. housing crisis has intensified in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic as rental costs have risen by more than 25% over the past four years (Richardson, 2022). This research addresses this critical problem by analyzing a key factor behind changing housing markets, namely the consolidation of housing ownership by large, corporate landlords and their effects on cities. The empirical data for this project is drawn from real estate and tax assessment conferences, archives at the International Association of Assessing Officers (IAAO) headquarters in Kansas City, MO, and extended fieldwork in Memphis, TN. The broader impact of this research shapes public policy on housing in two ways, each aligning with the NSF’s (2022) strategic vision to “accelerate impact” (16). First, it provides some of the first empirical evidence for local, state, and national policymakers to assess the effects of corporate rentiership on urban tax bases, which directly impacts tax revenue and the funding of public services. Second, it provides detailed information on property ownership and investment patterns to housing and tax organizers in Memphis, TN. The intellectual merit of the proposed research advances knowledge on the political economy of housing financialization, race and digital technologies, and the role of the local state in urban and municipal finance.