Reason I’m asking is because I have an aunt that owns like maybe 3 - 5 (not sure the exact amount) small townhouses around the city (well, when I say “city” think of like the areas around a city where theres no tall buildings, but only small 2-3 stories single family homes in the neighborhood) and have these houses up for rent, and honestly, my aunt and her husband doesn’t seem like a terrible people. They still work a normal job, and have to pay taxes like everyone else have to. They still have their own debts to pay. I’m not sure exactly how, but my parents say they did a combination of saving up money and taking loans from banks to be able to buy these properties, fix them, then put them up for rent. They don’t overcharge, and usually charge slightly below the market to retain tenants, and fix things (or hire people to fix things) when their tenants request them.

I mean, they are just trying to survive in this capitalistic world. They wanna save up for retirement, and fund their kids to college, and leave something for their kids, so they have less of stress in life. I don’t see them as bad people. I mean, its not like they own multiple apartment buildings, or doing excessive wealth hoarding.

Do leftists mean people like my aunt too? Or are they an exception to the “landlords are bad” sentinment?

  • mke_geek@lemm.ee
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    2 days ago

    Builders build housing. Then they sell it. Rental property owners provide housing.

    • zalgotext
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      2 days ago

      They literally do not provide housing. If they did, there wouldn’t be a housing shortage.

      • mke_geek@lemm.ee
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        2 days ago

        There’s a housing shortage due to not having enough housing for the people who want it. Read the dozens and dozens of articles over the past decade about how the United States hasn’t been building enough housing to keep up with demand.

        Families don’t live together like they used to. People are living longer. People don’t want to live with others.