What ethical issues may arise with accommodation/renting (Please answer)?

Question

Thank you =)

Answer 1

Breach of contract, for one.  For example:  An individual rents, then loses his job due to his being injured.  This individual is unable to pay his monthly dues. Is it moral for the landlord to evict this individual under this circumstance?  Another example:  An individual rents but neglects to pay because his lifestyle includes drug use which prohibits him to have enough money to pay.  Should the landlord have to go through a lengthy legal dispute just to have this individual evicted?  Cannot this individual be summarily evicted if he is able to pay but unwilling?

Answer 2

any ethical issues may arise with renting.

Answer 3

For the landlord the general ethical problem stems from expecting to invest as little as possible in time and financial commitment while maintaining cash flow.  In other words, the land lord has a tendency to want to "milk" the property.

Delaying capital improvements or repairs while insisting the renter continue to pay full rent could let the property become run-down.  

For the tenant, the ethical problems come from wanting the maximum amount of accommodations for the minimum financial contribution.  This could result in the renter making undue demands of the  land lord in requests for improvements or unrealistic expectations in the event of the need for repairs to the property.

Most frequently, though, the ethical problem for renters is attempting to "live free," either from deliberate effort or from simple inattention to details. The renter may make payment late, and thus violate the contract without being late enough to provoke action of removal.  I've seen situations where the renter paid a bit later and a bit later each month, until she actually was a full month late.  Her payment for May wasn't made until the payment for June was actually due, but she insisted she had paid the rent for June, since she made a payment IN June.  It took a calendar and bank statement of actual payment dates to convince her that she was, in fact, a month late, and she still owed for the current month.  

Another ethical dilemma for both the renter and the landlord involves damage deposits and condition at time of vacating the property.  The renter should take pictures of any problems at the time of taking occupation, so that an unethical land lord can not attempt to keep a damage deposit for a problem the tenant didn't cause.  Likewise, the land lord should get photos of the apartment both before and after occupancy, to document any damage the tenant did.  If the tenant sends the landlord a copy of the photos and requests repairs as soon as possible at "move in," there will be no question at "move out" about to whom the repair should fall.

To avoid such problems, both the renter and the land lord should read the contract, and get all expectations in writing.  If there is a conflict, it should be put in writing at once so there is no miscommunication.  If the land lord pursues the consequences of late payment immediately, the problem doesn't get out of hand.  

In my acquaintance's case, she got onto such bad terms with her land lord that she eventually moved from a nice place.