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?

  • cley_faye@lemmy.world
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    28 days ago

    Making money on the back of someone else with little to no work of yours is parasitic. Having enough money at one point in life to become a parasite doesn’t change anything.

    • mke_geek@lemm.ee
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      28 days ago

      Rental property owners do not “make money off the backs” of anyone. It’s about trading money for a service.

      • cley_faye@lemmy.world
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        28 days ago

        Sure. Having the means to pay something once, and have it be repaid multiple times back with little to no expense, sometimes not even the bare minimum to remain “legal” housing, is a “service”.

        • mke_geek@lemm.ee
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          27 days ago

          Your response tells me you don’t know what’s involved in the job and don’t care to learn.