Flipper/Rehabber · Indianapolis, IN · Member since 2014 · 54 posts · 144 votes
Our team in Indiana has hired a lobbyist to represent the interests of housing providers and investors. One of our first objectives is to replace the word "landlord" with "housing provider" in ALL pieces of legislation. The "lords of the land" in history refers to landowners that essentially provided housing and oversaw most aspects of tenants lives. We are housing providers that provide a product/service in exchange for money. That is it. However, we need to find a term that replaces "landlord' for commercial providers as well - any ideas?
The entire point of language is to communicate. When the language we employ fails to create an understanding between people and further creates a misunderstanding between people, the language is a failed one. The use of ambiguous terms is never helpful for the purpose of clarity, and can be disastrous when used in legislation. Politicians love ambiguous terms and employ them endlessly.
The term "housing provider" does not well describe the property owner within the business of residential rental property. It is ambiguous and suggests a role that is false. I own property and I rent it to people for them to use however, they have provided the housing for themselves, not the other way around. I provide housing for myself and my dependents; my employer does not do that for me, my bank does not do that for me, and the builder who constructed my house does not do that for me - we are not all housing providers, only I am. The term "housing provider" suggests a dependent is involved.
I am a property owner. I provide a leasing opportunity to people who are in need of housing. If anything, we are lease providers and not housing providers. As it turns out, more specific terms for landlord and tenant already exist in the legal world, they are lessor and lessee. Look at that, the terms are specific to exactly what it is we all are doing, in no uncertain terms. Perhaps what's really needed is a lesson in vocabulary.
With all due respect, I think this endeavor is dumb. There is nothing that needs to be solved and further, the suggestion of using the term "housing provider" creates unnecessary ambiguity when the entire rationale for the change according to the OP is to eliminate ambiguity. This is an incredible waste of time and money that in my opinion makes things worse, not better for landlords or tenants or anyone. Frankly, using a term like 'housing provider' in this situation is downright thoughtless and lazy. If it's all that bothersome and persons are bent on making a change, use lessor and lessee. People can Google what those terms mean if they don't already know. Even then though, what about all the legislation that already uses the terms landlord and tenant??? LOL. Is someone going to go back and get all those pieces of legislation changed too? How about the ambiguity of having one term used in the past and another used now and into the future? Will the term "housing provider" be deemed inappropriate in the future and then someone will go back and change everything again? Will we have three different terms for the same thing depending on when the legislation was written? Good grief. Leave well enough alone.
Our team in Indiana has hired a lobbyist to represent the interests of housing providers and investors. One of our first objectives is to replace the word "landlord" with "housing provider" in ALL pieces of legislation. The "lords of the land" in history refers to landowners that essentially provided housing and oversaw most aspects of tenants lives. We are housing providers that provide a product/service in exchange for money. That is it. However, we need to find a term that replaces "landlord' for commercial providers as well - any ideas?
I throw up in my mouth when I see where our culture is heading with this unnecessary political correctness that adds zero value. This is the reason why the demagogues like the "former guy" get installed in position of power..
If you really need a hobby, and have too much time on your hand, I can recommend a few..
Just because you see on FB and other socials that people want to 'kill all landlords' doesn't mean we have to shift away from the word itself and legislators won't change to a more ambiguous term in law no matter how much you throw at it. I get the struggle here, but I just don't think it's the right fight - just because you may legally be called a lessor or housing provider, you'll still be the evil yahoo that the tenant is giving money to every month. If widespread tenant approval is what you really want, then fight for legislation to better the abhorrent conditions some landlords are allowed to legally keep tenants in.
I've always used "Owner/Manager" and "Resident(s)". Simple, done. The terms landlord and tenant are ancient relics of feudalism, have a lot of negative connotations and I see no reason to hold on to them in the modern vernacular. Change is the only constant and language is always evolving. Doesn't need to be a big deal, just stop using those words and use better ones that are more suited to modern times. I certainly don't fancy myself a "Lord of the Manor" lol, so we can get rid of "Landlord" asap.
Is this really an issue? This is why we are going down hill fast in this country. I would start thinking about the title Dictator. This is what we will have with these generations of weak helpless individuals.
@Steve K. I use " house slave " because I always require to wiped their butts when needed, and they, the tenants, can decide when or not to pay me for the services. J/k
@Laura Guy I must say, what you are doing is unnecessary and for you to attack @Nick Barber and @John Teachout for not agreeing with you is totally uncalled for!! At this point, you should close this discussion because you are not accepting of points that you do not agree with.
This is incredibly cringe worthy. When will you people learn changing words and phrases does absolutely nothing?
Newsflash: you can call yourself whatever you want, you will still be seen as evil in the eyes of a tenant. No amount of good will or PC name changing will reverse that.