The interaction between residential preferences and dwellings is a complex system whose function thus far remains insufficiently explored. In this paper, we investigate housing functions as orchestrators of households’ residential mobility in the context of Swiss rental housing. We propose a theoretical multi-step model and use survey data from 878 Swiss tenants to inspect the model’s linkages. From the statistical analysis, we firstly observe that tenants’ residential satisfaction is more likely to increase when the gap between ideal housing functions and those actually fulfilled by the current dwelling decreases. Secondly, results show that the effectiveness of an event (e.g. a job opportunity) in triggering the move is significantly related to both residential satisfaction and the functions the dwelling fulfils prior to the trigger. Thirdly, findings show that these trigger events can be grouped into three types: radical change, problem-solving and opportunity. With a medium effect size, a radical change was found to bring about the strongest change in housing functions between past and current dwellings. Lastly, in line with the hypothesis that residential preferences vary over the life course, socio-demographic characteristics and tenancy types are found to be significant explanatory variables for households’ ideal housing functions. By disentangling the complexity of the housing system, the proposed multi-step model can be used to integrate households’ preferences with supply-side constraints in agent-based model simulations, thereby contributing to fostering the provision of quality housing, i.e. dwellings able to meet the needs of current and future occupants.

住宅偏好和住宅之间的相互作用是一个复杂的系统，其功能迄今仍未得到充分探索。在本文中，我们调查了在瑞士租赁住房背景下作为家庭住宅流动协调者的住房功能。我们提出了一个理论上的多步模型，并使用来自 878 名瑞士租户的调查数据来检查模型的联系。从统计分析中，我们首先观察到，当理想的住房功能与当前住宅实际满足的功能之间的差距缩小时，租户的居住满意度更有可能增加。其次，结果表明，触发搬迁的事件（例如工作机会）的有效性与住宅满意度和住宅在触发之前实现的功能显着相关。第三，研究结果表明，这些触发事件可以分为三种类型：彻底改变、解决问题和机会。在中等影响大小的情况下，发现发生根本性变化会导致过去和现在住宅之间的住房功能发生最强烈的变化。最后，根据居住偏好在整个生命过程中变化的假设，社会人口特征和租赁类型被发现是家庭理想住房功能的重要解释变量。通过解开住房系统的复杂性，所提出的多步模型可用于在基于代理的模型模拟中将家庭偏好与供应方约束结合起来，从而有助于促进提供优质住房，即能够满足当前和未来居住者的需求。