Yes, landlords do the things they do because of capitalism. Their existence is due to capitalism. But that doesn’t mean they’re not to blame. They choose to be landlords.
Your anecdotal experience of nice landlords doesn’t cover the fact that landlords, traditionally, have been bastards to their tenants. There’s a reason many countries have had to implement laws like third party deposit schemes and standards for things like smoke alarms, heating systems, etc in rented accommodation.
Landlords are bastards because of capitalism but that doesn’t wash away the fact that landlords are bastards.
Okay, but “ACAB” makes sense because even the “good” cops enable the bad system. But how does ALAB make sense? The good landlords are just… good landlords. The landlord performs a useful service by buying and renting out the property which would be too expensive for renters to otherwise have access to. Obviously things would be better if there weren’t a need for landlords, but that’s hardly the fault of the landlord. What exactly is the (good) landlord doing that is enabling a bad system overall?
Hoarding living accommodation for the purpose of profit.
Landlording for an office or shop could perhaps be justified to be for-profit but housing is a human requirement and hoarding it for-profit is unethical. All landlords are bastards, unless by some unlikely chance they’re running their business as a nonprofit.
There are other human requirements too, but it’s only landlords that get the bad press.
Monkey paw, there are no landlords – now almost nobody can afford to live anywhere. For this reason, shouldn’t one blame the housing market (and all its participants) as a whole, not just the ones who rent out their properties?
Of course, if we can socialize housing, or at least require that if you own a house you must live in it, that would be the best. But in the meantime, I don’t really see the objective problem that landlords specifically are causing, they seem to be doing a service to everyone as far as I can tell. I blame the high price of housing instead.
I personally think it’s capitalism that’s to blame, not landlords. I have generally been lucky with having nice landlords though, who aren’t bastards.
The true start was moving from nomadic living to long term residences.
Yes, landlords do the things they do because of capitalism. Their existence is due to capitalism. But that doesn’t mean they’re not to blame. They choose to be landlords.
Your anecdotal experience of nice landlords doesn’t cover the fact that landlords, traditionally, have been bastards to their tenants. There’s a reason many countries have had to implement laws like third party deposit schemes and standards for things like smoke alarms, heating systems, etc in rented accommodation.
Landlords are bastards because of capitalism but that doesn’t wash away the fact that landlords are bastards.
Okay, but “ACAB” makes sense because even the “good” cops enable the bad system. But how does ALAB make sense? The good landlords are just… good landlords. The landlord performs a useful service by buying and renting out the property which would be too expensive for renters to otherwise have access to. Obviously things would be better if there weren’t a need for landlords, but that’s hardly the fault of the landlord. What exactly is the (good) landlord doing that is enabling a bad system overall?
Hoarding living accommodation for the purpose of profit.
Landlording for an office or shop could perhaps be justified to be for-profit but housing is a human requirement and hoarding it for-profit is unethical. All landlords are bastards, unless by some unlikely chance they’re running their business as a nonprofit.
There are other human requirements too, but it’s only landlords that get the bad press.
Monkey paw, there are no landlords – now almost nobody can afford to live anywhere. For this reason, shouldn’t one blame the housing market (and all its participants) as a whole, not just the ones who rent out their properties?
Of course, if we can socialize housing, or at least require that if you own a house you must live in it, that would be the best. But in the meantime, I don’t really see the objective problem that landlords specifically are causing, they seem to be doing a service to everyone as far as I can tell. I blame the high price of housing instead.