Andy, Are you in the rental business? If not, why not? If it's such easy cash, why isn't everybody on this list chomping at the bit to get into the rental business? Unless you can tell me you've personally gone through the business of property rental and it was so easy, quit telling me how I'm "at war" with my clients.
I didn't mention this in my original post, but I am in a house that was turned into a duplex. When I first purchased the place five years ago, I rented the upstairs out to people I **personally knew**. Ultimately, I didn't get paid a lot of rent and ended up going through the very unpleasant process of evicting them because of it. Plus, these people kept their living space in such horrible filth, I was constantly worried about pest infestation. Since this incident, I haven't rented the upstairs in hopes of renovating it. However, I'm immensely jittery about ever renting it out, for fear the thousands of dollars I will have invested (not to mention blood, sweat, and tears of my own work) will be for naught. Unless you can say you're in the rental business and are burning dollar bills for fun, let's stop this basic name-calling. Have you considered that maybe people get into the rental business to serve a needed function (and again, I repeat it is a needed function of the city. A lot of people aren't willing and/or ready for home ownership)? Yes, they make some cash, but shouldn't they make something for the risk they take? Why do so many on this list seem to believe that people should put their money and effort into the city and get absolutely nothing in return? This is a completely unreasonable belief. I personally have at least not asked for massive subsidies for my investment, not even -at least thus far- NRP dollars for home repairs. What I seem to hear in subtle manner too often on the list is that every person who is willing to risk their own cash they've worked hard for in the city is nothing but a soulless bloodsucking human being. Then you wonder why there's some animosity. Gary Bowman Audubon Park --- Andy Driscoll <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > This post points up a major problem with the rental > business. Landlords see > themselves at war with their own clients - their > renters. If any business > were this miserable for its owner(s), they would > abandon it for something > else. > > But it's not. It's a huge, wealth-making business, > often at the expense of > decent living conditions for their clients, and most > landlords would just as > soon limit their clientele to nice, well-heeled > white folks. But they buy > into areas they themselves declare risky, then whine > about the risks and > ignore the conditions of their buildings using their > terrible renters as > excuses for withholding repairs and maintenance that > would make the living > conditions � and their relationships with renters - > better. > > All the while they rake in the money. > > Andy Driscoll > Saint Paul > -------- > I (cannot) submit the whole system of my opinions to > the creed of any party > of men (and women) whatever in religion, in > philosophy, in politics, or in > anything else where I was capable of thinking for > myself. Such an addiction > is the last degradation of a free and moral agent. > --- Thomas > Jefferson (updated) > > > From: Gary Bowman <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > Date: Sun, 8 Dec 2002 21:19:03 -0800 (PST) > > To: Minneapolis Issues <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > Subject: Re: [Mpls] Real and Imagined Risks > > > > I would remind Mr. Mork, and the list, rental > property owners take risks > > beyond what's suggested below. > > > > Yes, landlords do cushion themselves with first > and last months rent (or one > > months rent and a deposit). However, a less than > honorable tenant can > > quickly do far more damage to a property than this > "cushion"- especially if > > they decide "it's not my property, so why should I > care?". I'm not implying > > all, or even most, renters would do intentional > damage. But, guessing a > > month's rent to be about $500-600 and a deposit of > perhaps equal, it would > > take not paying a month's rent and some carpet > damage to level this > > "cushion". > > > > For small property owners, such as an > owner-occupied duplex or fourplex, > > such a hit is a HUGE risk to take. And, if this > small property owner doesn't > > have other resources to repair damage done, it is > going to be difficult to > > keep your property value up, or even be able to > continue to rent your > > property. > > > > Let's remember, rental property owners serve a > needed function in > > Minneapolis. They provide a place for people not > ready, willing, or able to > > buy a place. Let's remember this before we start > the subtle name-calling on > > rental property owners. > > > > Gary Bowman Audubon Park > > > _______________________________________ > > Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic > Discussion - Mn E-Democracy > Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now. http://mailplus.yahoo.com _______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
