Is it really that it worked for 30 years or just that the couple times it failed that actually got somebody to repair it?
I had my washer/dryer for 8+ years now. Actually got the extended warranty for sure reason and it covered having a repair when it started leaking, but given the cost of repairs hasn’t just elect to buy a new unit.
Yeah that would be nice. I think the former are kind of a dying breed though (and those that still have them are holding on as tight as they can).
Honestly I tend to refer to the latter as “slumlords” as that tends to better reflect the actual fucks they give about the tenants in their properties. Even the corpos are often better, as at least they tend to be better informed/regulated about their legal obligations.
There’s cosmetic repairs and then there’s “making the place fit for Guinean habitation” repairs.
Now granted I’m a bit older and not renting now (and not a landlord, though I did share in my first place when I was a younger), but in that time a lot of better available places were people who’d bought a home, had kids, then had said kids grow up and move out. Given the free space but still wanting to keep with the family home they’d invested half their lives in, they’d rent out a basement suite or whatever (generally for a reasonable rate, at least compared to other places or the shit-show we see today). Some didn’t need the money, others found that rising property values also came with a rise in taxes and repair costs. Most were still not assholes though so if the stove or heating broke down they’d actually get a repair guy in fairly quickly or replace said appliance (often with a used but functional one).
Those are what you’d call the “mom and pop” landlords and they were a lot more prevalent. By the same token though, they weren’t making a lot - hell some were less interested in rents than not having an empty-feeling house - and all it took was one bad tenant to make it not worthwhile. It doesn’t take much either. Water damage and/or mould abatement, a kitchen fire, pet/drugs/smoking damage etc can all add up pretty quickly especially if they’re hiring somebody professional to do repair work which was certainly more than just cosmetic.
I don’t see a lot of those types now - I’d certainly not want to be one - but most I know cite that it would take them years to recoup the cost of damage from that one bad case and they just weren’t willing to deal with that plus the life-disruption anymore. So now all there pretty much is would be corporate landlords or the type that own several “rental properties” and consider painting the walls (and hinges, and light-switches, and plugs) or throwing down the cheapest carpet possible the extent of their actual “investment” in the property.
They didn’t know that it would probably become an airbnb, but the likelihood of such a place becoming one or being bought by somebody else wanting to charge higher rents isn’t exactly low either.
The whole “market rates” thing is used by corporate landlords to increase prices, and controlling available properties - including by leaving vacancies - is one way that do that. By the same token, charging below “market rates” could also help of enough did it, especially if the places are decent and money re-invested in proper upkeep. Many/most though are not even investing in proper maintenance/repairs while charging over an above the cost of entire mortgages, which IMO is just greedy bullshit
Because the last tenant put holes in the walls, their dog’s piss caused the floor to lift, and the shower they plugged then overflowed fucked up the bathroom?
So there are repairs to do in order to make the place livable and then time to find somebody else who won’t just wreck the place again?
Yeah there are lots of shit landlords but one of the continuing factors is the remaining good ones with a basement suite etc bailed after terrible tenants.
A vacancy tax is a good idea but there needs to be caveats for timelines especially if stuff like reasonable maintenance/repairs is taken into consideration.
Ironically my friends who bitched about “shit landlords” also happened to be the drinkin’ smokin’ big-dog-ownin’ types who were the worst type of tenants and ruined shit for everyone else
See what they need is a bard who raps. A bit if speed-rap and they’d be throwing out deadly cantrips like a human machine-gun
This was me when I had Norovirus, though the puking was preceded by firehose-level shits until I took an Imodium, after which it switched ends before deciding on some rather unpleasant alternating events
You can fit an awful lot of Perl into one line too if you minimize it. It’ll be completely unreadable to most anyone, but it’ll run
Yeah, this guy got AI when the rest of us have to settle for parents or in-laws!
Good comedians are often people who complain about life’s bullshit in a funny way, so why not?
I think it swallowed rather than spat it this case
SJ in Ghost seemed particularly fucked up given that all the original content was Japanese
Hmmm. Minecraft was more accurate than I thought
Yeah. Positive reinforcement works across a lot of species… Just because the OP is used to using it with canines first doesn’t make it bad to use on humans We could all use a little pick-up sometimes, just doing fine the M&M’s to rover and a milk bone to the partner by mistake.
The privacy thing isn’t necessarily part of advertising though.
Advertising can be as complex as targeted algorithms built using harvested information and even AI bullshit, or as simple as a sign by the road saying “next right for MegaBurger” or even a small box with “Bob’s autoglass repair” in the paper.
It’s the volume and invasiveness that’s a problem. Ads in your mailbox, ads in your inbox, ads on your streaming service and when you turn on your Roku etc etc acting as blockers to the content you’re actually looking for.
I’m totally cool too go back to having an “autoglass” or “plumbers” section in paper and online yellow Pages etc, which target people actually looking for a service. I’m also cool with places which I subscribe to advertising me deals I might like (not so much signing me up for their shit the first time I buy from them), but the shoving crap in people’s face and information harvesting that needs to end.
Hell, I even have a collection of saved ads that were clever and entertaining I’d share with people, yet most companies go for volume (both audible and amount) over substance
Maybe their kit included a scarecrow mask from the Batman movies
If your erection lasts for more than 1h, see a medical professional or stop watching the Tesla stock prices
Not AliExpress, but fucking Samsung. They may appliances with all the cool smart features and they’re everywhere, but holy shit are they terrible for reliability (both per my own experience and according to repair people I’ve talked with).