Is second/third home ownership ethical in this economy? (links.hackliberty.org)

submitted 10 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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Especially when those 2nd, 3rd, + properties are being used as passive short term rentals. Observing the state of the housing situation "Hmm there aren't enough homes for normal families to each have a chance, I should turn this extra property of mine into a vacation rental." does this make said person a POS?

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[-] [email protected] 2 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

Imo, the ethical limit is 3.

To live in
For additional income from rental, retirement security etc.
A country or seaside house for weekend/summer getaway

There's no real reason to own more property than that. If you have extra money to invest put it in actual business. Into new housing construction for example you get quite a return on that, and it doesn't make you unethical.

Edit: This also applies to companies. Actually companies shouldn't own any housing at all. Selling at a profit that's acceptable. Owning it as an 'investment' - absolutely not.

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[-] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago

No. Unless it's like a family situation where it requires it I think it's unethical. People live in tents in the park in my city because housing is scarce and wildly expensive. It's not right to be able to hoard property.

[-] [email protected] 2 points 10 months ago

Unfortunately op asked two inverted questions so no could mean not ethical or no not a POS, or, somehow, unethical but not pos.

[-] HobbitFoot 1 points 10 months ago

Not really. It is ethical to build multiple units on the same property, but owning two individual units isn't.

[-] [email protected] 2 points 10 months ago

The city of Tacoma has recently made it a law that adjacent dwelling units, basically tiny homes that you build on your own property, are permitted as long as you follow the other rules about living places.

[-] HobbitFoot 1 points 10 months ago

Yep, and I feel that secondary dwellings like this are ethical because it means a greater overall housing supply while still not becoming a slum lord.

[-] [email protected] 0 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

Edit: to clarify, no it’s not ethical. Yes it makes person a pos.

[-] [email protected] -2 points 10 months ago

I agree with you that it makes a person a POS, but it's also necessary in our current system. It would take so much change to fix this.

[-] [email protected] -1 points 10 months ago

One aspect not mentioned is that sometimes, second homes are in places that have a good supply of houses available. This makes them cheaper, and easier to afford. It also has more potential to grow in value down the road. If that's the case, no issue. If not, it's complicated.

[-] [email protected] -2 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

I might be on the fringe here, but I think second home ownership is always unethical in any economy. It is, however, a necessary evil in our current society.

Edit: I don't feel like responding to everyone, so I'll elaborate a bit here. Profiting off of something another person requires in order to live a happy/healthy life is unethical. In the current society we live in, landlords are a necessary evil. This is broad strokes, there are fringe scenarios where one might end up with another and not use it for profit. To be clear, I also think owning a second home to live in part time is unethical as well.

[-] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago

What about in an economy with more houses than people?

[-] [email protected] 0 points 10 months ago

Mh, I agree, but also disagree to some extent. I am a Democratic socialist and think that means of production should be used for the greater good, so keeping a house in order to make profit is exactly that: private property of means of production with the goal of $$$.

However, I think the question goes deeper than that. I think it's absolutely valid for a family to have a secondary home, e.g. when they want to go to a vacation. Sometimes renting out a hostel is difficult, one might not like the hostels available, or a plethora of other reasons. As soon as the person owning the house uses it for themselves for a significant amount of time, it isn't really a means of production anymore, but a private property. What is important in my opinion is that the time when the house isn't used by the owner, other people have a chance to use it - cheap AirBnB covering the costs maybe?

Tl;DR - renting the house out to others to make profit: yes, unethical. Earning money by a human necessity is, in my opinion, not right. Using the house yourself and/or renting it for sustenance cost: absolutely valid. You don't use the means of production to take money from the people, you use it for your own (and society's) benefit.

[-] [email protected] 2 points 10 months ago

Here's the problem. Second homes (one that is lived in part time) tend to increase property values of the area where they are. Additionally, short term rentals also increase property values. On top of this, that is a home that is unavailable to folks who live there full time. This compounds to create a higher barrier of entry for people that want to purchase a home. Rising property values and nearby short term rentals also increase long term rent for people that live in the area. This isn't even to mention negative impacts on the environment, an additional tax burden for the area the second home resides, or additional carbon footprint being created.

On top of all of this. If you are renting a home to another person, this is exploitation. You are demanding money for providing something essential to modern life and increasingly to even exist in an area. Rent prices have also become a cabal and are constantly increasing due to landlords fixing rent prices. I think being a landlord is unethical, but they are necessary with the way housing is structured today.

We require massive revisions to housing policies and zoning laws, at a federal level, to solve these problems.

TL;DR Second homes are bad but there isn't a lot we as individuals can do about it right now.

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[-] [email protected] -2 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

Fuck what anyone else think mate, if you can do it go for it. 99% of people spend a lot of time complaining about everything, let them alone with their protagonist syndrome.

[-] [email protected] -2 points 10 months ago

Yeah, a second house for traveling workers or seasonal migrants is fine, bit luxury but fine, but renting them out is where you're starting to be a dick.

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this post was submitted on 26 Jul 2024

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