Unusual-Okra9251 t1_ja91spp wrote on February 27, 2023 at 7:11 PM

Reply to comment by nathanaz in Who here owns residential and rents it out? thinking of buying a two-family in Rahway as it is getting very cute there. by [deleted]

At this point it's obvious that whatever argument I make, you're going to advocate for landlords. We can just agree to disagree. I'm tired of seeing communities turned into all rental neighborhoods by individual landlords and investment groups. I hate that airbnb and other short term rental companies have prevented families from putting down roots in towns that are quickly being priced out of reach. I don't know how to solve the issue without massive government oversight or a guillotine, but I know which method is more satisfying.

I'm just lucky that I was able to buy last year before rates shot way up, in a town I've long loved. There are a lot of small time landlords in my town, renting homes to people for considerably more than what my mortgage costs. It's not great.

nathanaz t1_ja92zg4 wrote on February 27, 2023 at 7:18 PM

I just think landlords have a role in the overall market, as not everyone wants to rent a small apt or buy. It’s not really ‘advocating’ as much as it is just accepting the reality of the housing market and that people have preferences. Unethical landlords that try to screw people out of every dime possible are not what I’m talking about - fuck those people. But renting, in general, doesn’t need to be evil. Maybe limits on rent increases, like they do in some cities, would be in order throughout the country.

As far as airbnb and the like, I feel like short term rentals in residential areas are destroying neighborhoods by creating blocks of houses with transient occupants. I don’t have all the answers, in terms of what to do about it, but those types of arrangements should be addressed, IMO.