• Captain Borracho@lemm.ee
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      1 year ago

      That’s not true at all.

      I move around a lot and have rented from some great landlords in the past who kept the price low, property in great condition and couldn’t be more helpful when I’ve had problems. Granted I’ve had some awful ones too, usually big companies, but it’s definitely not fair to say there aren’t good ones out there.

      I get that the world likes things in absolutes, and it’s easy to say that landlords are parasites and shouldn’t exist … but that neglects that not everyone wants to put down roots or go through the property of buying and selling a property every time they move. I’m definitely not defending the big investment companies who are just there to monopolise the market and squeeze every penny they can out of it, but it’s the same with every industry, there will always be bad actors who will exploit the system if they’re allowed to.

      • lone_faerie@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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        1 year ago

        Landlords aren’t bad because they treat their tenants poorly, they’re bad because they make a living by monetizing a basic human necessity. It’s like saying there are no good billionaires, or all cops are bastards. Of course there are landlords who treat their tenants well, billionaires who donate a lot of money, cops who actually want to serve and protect, but saying they’re all bad is really saying they are perpetuating a broken system. Landlords are bad because you shouldn’t have to pay a monthly bill to have somewhere to sleep. Billionaires are bad because you can’t make that much money without exploiting the working class. Cops are bad because their complicit in abusing power.

        • mammut@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          Why are landlords worse than, say, water utility companies? They also monetize basic human necessities.

          I think the reality is that basic necessities are going to be monetized. People are going to own land and houses, and they’re going to try to monetize them when they own them. Even people who are owner-occupants often make decisions based on increasing the value of their homes, and that makes it harder for the next person to be able to buy a house.

          • lone_faerie@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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            1 year ago

            I don’t think privatized water utility companies are any better than landlords. They’re both symptoms of the same broken system. Utilities should really be government services, paid for by taxes. When water treatment is privatized, their business is no longer providing clean water, it’s making money. They just choose to make their money by throttling people’s access to clean water