02/20/2025
Rhetoric of hating (harassing) landlords and calling them scum because they own property that has a value? LL rents his basement to get help paying his mortgage and property taxes because he is working harder than the average person and responsibly handles his bills. At the end of the day, his tax money goes to pay public assistance, food, and housing for people who are irresponsible and leave them homeless and starving in a rich society. Is the local grocery store immoral for making money on selling and profiting on the public having to eat? Of course not. Why is housing any different?
A lease is a contract, and there's no reason for either side not to fulfill their obligations. Tenants need to pay rent on time, not willfully damage the property, and not interfere with the landlord's business being successful economically.
So I guess that is the source of my ethical dilemma: The tension between my liberal, social-levelling tendencies on the one hand and the sense that I am taking financial advantage of people by being a landlord on the other. Should I feel guilty charging money from people who live paycheck-to-paycheck, who cannot maintain houses or afford emergency repairs, who are renters by choice, or who are bad money managers? I provide a service. I pride myself on being a good landlord and keeping the apartment in great shape. Always asking myself, “Would I want to live there?”. Having had tenants for many years, some of whom moved out of state, call me asking if I have an apartment for their relatives. My tenants give me gifts during the holidays. What the hell should I feel guilty about?!
Anyone else ever have these thoughts? They're not stopping me from being a landlord, but I'm curious how others think about this.
PS: Continuing on the previous post "Nightmare Eviction" and adding more info on how tenants intentionally damaged property, placed HPD violations, did not let LL enter to repair, and ignored all advance notices and even court order. When the tenant makes an HPD complaint 20 minutes after the LL reaches out to him about massive water usage because tenants were running water on purpose.
With that said, my perspective in that regard: How dare a tenant take advantage of me? How dare a tenant trash my property? How dare a tenant violate the non-smoking agreement and poison me by smoking 🌱 in the house? How dare a tenant not pay rent based on the contract we agreed upon? 🔗 TO PART #1
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063838453898
