For those who say "rent is theft" and "all landlords are bastards", let me just say...
I've been a landlord myself. Nearly every time, I've lost money on the exchange. Between maintenance costs and property tax proportioned among residents, I literally ended up paying more than I received in rent by a significant amount. Given I never owned a complex rather than extra space where I lived, sometimes renters screwed me in ways far past financial as well.
Maybe that means I'm a shitty landlord who charged too little or was too forgiving of short months when they had trouble paying. But to act like there are no costs associated with landlordism or no benefits to the poor who have low income and bad credit to being able to rent instead of buy or become homeless is batshit crazy.
Also... If you think I'm automatically an asshole for having rented to people, I don't know why you're reading this still.
I've rented to those going through messy divorces, those who had financial troubles, those just trying to get through college. Hell... I've rented to those selling meat in a truck and those who never lived with anyone but parents.
They all received more benefit from me than I received from them, without exception... Despite me having been the one to buy the property in the first place and taking on more risk.
Rent isn't theft, and in fact benefits the poor overall. Some landlords may be bastards, but that's true of renters as well. And proportionally? I expect renters are more likely to be assholes, regardless of who has more "power".
You can disagree. You can stay friends with me if you do. But just know that if you think all landlords are bastards, I have been one. In fact, the only reason I have no tenants now is that I've been screwed over by too many, while not screwing them over.
I mean... I literally have vacant, unused livable space that has held several people simultaneously. But I ain't letting just anyone in, regardless of price, to protect myself.
Y'all mother fuckers are dangerous. Don't judge property owners for not giving our justly acquired shit up for free. The difference between me renting it out and the space going unutilized if I don't is that no one benefits from the latter... And that's literally worth it to me.
Does the vacant space help the poor more unoccupied than if I rented it out? Of course not.
Should I not be allowed to own something I literally paid for? If you think so... Pay me for it. It's all the same.
