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OPINION: Landlords not social workers

October 22nd, 2016 4:48 PM

By Southern Star Team

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Sinn Fein and their ilk have the twisted notion that those who own property should also allow their houses and apartments to be let at prices demanded by ‘themselves’ and not dictated by the current market.

SIR – There is the usual post-budget clamour from the usual sources that people are sleeping on the streets because of ‘landlords charging high rents.’ Such nonsense as this is the mantra of the lefty luvvies and particularly of Sinn Fein.

It is always pretended by them that capitalism and capital (money) ought not even exist. Theirs is the world of flaky aspiration.

Housing and accommodation is the responsibility of the State where the poorest in society have not the means to afford their own home/house, and not of landlords who are in business, just as everyone else is, who seek to get the best price for their products.

Sinn Fein and their ilk have the twisted notion that those who own property should also allow their houses and apartments to be let at prices demanded by ‘themselves’ and not dictated by the current market. Landlords are not social workers with their sole reason for striving in business being purely altruistic.

Generally, Irish landlords are good people who do their very best for tenants, pay very high extra taxes and are the only business, which can be cheated (common occurrence) out of huge amounts of money due to rents not being paid and direct damage to property. There is no recourse to declaring huge rent arrears as a crime.

Tenants can take off owing thousands, safe in the knowledge they will never be questioned by the police. Try leaving a shop without paying for that loaf of bread. This is the lot of law-abiding citizens in the property business who are readily castigated by people who have nothing to offer anybody, save for glib, hollow, ignorant words.

Private landlords give a vital and necessary service to tenants who depend on affordable rents.

Robert Sullivan,

Bantry.

 

 

 

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