Comment on When leftists say "landlord are parasites" or similar dislike of landlords, do they also mean the people that own like a couple of houses as an investment, or only the big landlords?

Agent641@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨week⁩ ago

• awwwyissss@lemm.ee ⁨1⁩ ⁨week⁩ ago

  If nobody is renting out family homes, there will be no family homes to rent. Many people prefer to rent their home.

  source
• enbyecho@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨week⁩ ago

  What constitutes an “investment”?

  If you buy a home and have a roommate so you can afford the mortgage is that an investment?

  If you buy a home and then sell it down the road for a profit, is that an investment?

  source

  • danciestlobster@lemm.ee ⁨1⁩ ⁨week⁩ ago

    I and I think many in the left would say no to both of those, especially if you lived there yourself in the second case. The abhorrent behavior is buying multiple houses and charging rent that is high enough to not just cover mortgage and maintenance but also turn a large profit, enough to where you can live entirely off of it at the expense of your tenants. And do things like raise the rent every year because “the market allows for it” even though your mortgage cost hasn’t changed.

    There is obviously a grey area in between that everyone will have different opinions on. But in my view it is POSSIBLE to rent a property ethically, using lower than industry rents and being generally nice about it rather than viewing it as an opportunity for exploitation

    source

    • enbyecho@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨week⁩ ago

      The abhorrent behavior is buying multiple houses and charging rent that is high enough to not just cover mortgage and maintenance but also turn a large profit, enough to where you can live entirely off of it at the expense of your tenants.

      I would certainly agree with that. But those actions also perfectly describe any capitalist behavior. And it’s that inconsistency in views that I’ve been poking at here. Some want to excuse other capital-focused actions as acceptable but then condemn real estate as though somehow that’s different. To me both are essentially exploitative.

      source

      • danciestlobster@lemm.ee ⁨1⁩ ⁨week⁩ ago

        I think it’s a spectrum, some are worse than others. This one is particularly incensing as it drives house prices up for average consumers. Me putting my meager retirement savings in stocks, while still arguably just as much a capitalist behavior, feels a little less negative on the working class. But maybe it is and I just don’t understand economics enough for the nuance

        source

        • -> View More Comments
• mke_geek@lemm.ee ⁨1⁩ ⁨week⁩ ago

  No landlords are “parasites”. Rental property owners provide a valuable service.

  source

  • Agent641@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨week⁩ ago

    Thanks for your honesty about which side you’ve chosen, saves a lot of trouble

    source
  • DragonTypeWyvern@midwest.social ⁨1⁩ ⁨week⁩ ago

    The only thing worse than a parasite is the lifeforms that feed on their droppings. At least the parasites have enough self respect to merely suck blood.

    source

    • mke_geek@lemm.ee ⁨1⁩ ⁨week⁩ ago

      By parasites, you mean people who don’t pay their rent causing an increase in costs for others.

      source

      • DragonTypeWyvern@midwest.social ⁨1⁩ ⁨week⁩ ago

        Lol, parasite cope.

        source

        • -> View More Comments