Comment by booty [he/him]@hexbear.net on Is it unethical to hide that I’m the landlord?

Hi Chapos throwaway for obvious reasons.

I’ve managed to buy an apartment, two bedrooms. I live in it, but I rent the other room out. Is it unethical for me to hide that I’m the owner?

I don’t really lie-lie, like if I’m asked straight up I’ll answer, but I’ll avoid it if possible.

It’s mostly because it creates an odd power dynamic and I’d rather have a flatmate than a tenant if that makes sense.

Reason I bought is I don’t want to deal with landlords, obviously.

Do I get the wall?

Kinda surprised by the responses here. I don’t really care how many houses you have, the bottom line is that you’re extorting money from another person in exchange for their access to a basic necessity. That sucks and there’s no way to make it not suck. Get a real job.

You can share the living cost without milking a tenant.

You could do that, but that isn’t rent. I wouldn’t criticize OP for charging someone a rough estimate of the cost of their use of utilities or whatever, but how likely is it that that’s what is happening?

Semantics. What would you use as short hand for “sharing the cost of living and you get your own room” if not “rent out a room”? If this was posted on id jump to the worst possible conclusion too, but maybe ask OP before doing that here.

I mean if you’re not profiting and are literally just covering the extra expenses incurred by having a second person living in your home, first of all why? I mean it’s nice and all but I’m just suspicious of acts of charity like that (and certainly wouldn’t assume that that is what’s happening instead of the much more likely option)

And second, if you are performing that act of charity, why would you feel guilty or wonder if you’re getting the wall? If I were doing that I wouldn’t consider myself a landlord or feel any guilt for it at all. That’s called having a roommate. I guess on paper legally you’re still the landlord but it’s a different thing ethically.

Well he’s definitely not profiting based on his answers elsewhere in the thread.

I think when Hexamerous says “sharing the cost of living” they’re also including an at-cost fraction of the mortgage corresponding to the proportion of the unit the tenant is using.

Well he’s definitely not profiting based on his answers elsewhere in the thread.

Keep in mind that OP had posted 0 total comments in the thread last time I wrote a comment.

I think when Hexamerous says “sharing the cost of living” they’re also including an at-cost fraction of the mortgage corresponding to the proportion of the unit the tenant is using.

Why should someone else pay your mortgage?

or if the profit is directly covering basic needs that his job isn’t enough to cover.

If only his victim were given the same consideration.

Look, I don’t give a shit about theft on principle. Steal from corporations if you need to, or if it would make life easier, or just for fun. I don’t care about that. But stealing from your fellow worker is unacceptable, especially one that is indisputably worse off than yourself. I bet OP’s tenant would love to be in such a position that they could purchase a home and have to worry about things like whether leeching from the working class earns you the wall (it does)

Again if OP is just covering the expenses incurred by the tenant/roommate then whatever, but if there’s profit involved then I’ve got nothing in common with him

Seriously, the responses are wild.

Next there’s going to be a poster who just happened to get a job as a cop trying to get sympathy for hiding that he’s currently undercover while hanging out with friends cause he doesn’t want to be treated like a pig. And the commenters will be like - oh it’s okay some cops are chill

Wild

as long as you’re the cop standing in the background and not the one kneeling on some guy’s neck you’re cool, you’re not the problem, dont worry about it

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Is it unethical to hide that I’m the landlord?

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