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If you lose your job, do you still have a moral duty to pay your rent on time?

If you lose your job, do you still have a moral duty to pay your rent on time?

  • Yes.

    Votes: 42 62.7%

  • No.

    Votes: 9 13.4%

  • Depends on the circumstances.

    Votes: 15 22.4%

  • Undecided, no opinion.

    Votes: 1 1.5%
  • Total voters
    67

Ahlevah

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I would say yes, you do, although under the circumstances I think it would be a dick move for a landlord to issue a three-day notice to pay rent or a two-week eviction notice. But, yeah, this is why it is imperative that families set aside funds for emergencies and unforeseen events like this pandemic. You shouldn't demand charity. Living in a private apartment or home owned by someone else isn't a right.
 
Yes...my bills get paid and then i eat...
 

Yes.

And pay your utilities, car insurance, vehicle registration if it's due and if you want to keep driving. Pay your credit card bills.

Just because you don't have any money, that's not a reason to not be responsible.

On the other hand, you could try talking to the people you owe money to. They may have mercy on you.

And if you simply cannot make ends meet, now would be a good time to reduce you debt to income ratio.
 


I would say you still have a moral duty to pay your rent. That said I think a landlord has a moral responsibility (not a legal one, at least there shouldn’t be a legal one) to come to an agreement.

Whether or not a landlord is being a “dick” over this, well I think that depends, If the tenant in question has been responsible, not damaging the property, paying their bills on time etc then I think it would be a major dick move. And in reality it makes good business sense to make a deal with an otherwise stellar tenant because you always run the risk you’ll move out a good one and move in a monster.

However if you’re laid off due to coronavirus you should be getting unemployment I would think.
 
Elvira said:
Yes...my bills get paid and then i eat...
Click to expand...

Me, too, but I have a feeling things are going to get pretty testy before this is all over, stimulus or not. Probably more than a few landlords are mortgaged to the hilt and need those rent checks coming in to avoid the threat of foreclosure.
 

I never advocate walking away from obligations, but if you get into a situation where you can’t pay all your bills and eat then you should prioritize rent and utilities and then food then your credit cards and consumer debts.

If you’re delinquent on credit cards long enough you will likely be able to settle then for pennies on the dollar later. Your credit will be terrible of course, but one shouldn’t go without or rent to pay credit cards
 
Ahlevah said:
Me, too, but I have a feeling things are going to get pretty testy before this is all over, stimulus or not. Probably more than a few landlords are mortgaged to the hilt and need those rent checks coming in to avoid foreclosure.
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And that friend, is why banks got a slice of the stimulus, so they don’t call commercial notes.
 
Hell no.

You lose your job and you lose shelter. Your landlord only loses a rent check. There's no comparison.
 
phattonez said:
Hell no.

You lose your job and you lose shelter. Your landlord only loses a rent check. There's no comparison.
Click to expand...

How about food then? If I steal a loaf of bread like Jean Valjean, the store is only out a loaf of bread while I'm out of life-sustaining sustenance. Stealing's okay then, right? Assuming you answer affirmatively, what if the store's closed? Can I break in and loot it, or am I required to wait until normal business hours?
 

If you are literally starving and there is no other option then yes, you're morally justified in taking the bread.
 
phattonez said:
If you are literally starving and there is no other option then yes, you're morally justified in taking the bread.
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Do the same conditions apply to the renter? I mean, does he have to have no other options and be in danger of death due to, say, the possibility of freezing to death? If not, why not?
 
Ahlevah said:
Me, too, but I have a feeling things are going to get pretty testy before this is all over, stimulus or not. Probably more than a few landlords are mortgaged to the hilt and need those rent checks coming in to avoid the threat of foreclosure.
Click to expand...

Up North the Banks are letting those unemployed, suspend mortgage payments, just means a larger amount on renewal.

Small LLs should be able to access the same process from lenders

The choice in the end can come down to being short on rent, benefits coming and feeding your family

How long will it take the Feds to get money out under the new spending bill?

Lastly up North here, most if not all Provinces have suspended evictions
 
Some municipalities are banning evicts for the time being. They did it locally.
 
phattonez said:
If you are literally starving and there is no other option then yes, you're morally justified in taking the bread.
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Stealing is stealing...even in conditions of extreme poverty, stealing dishonors God...Proverbs 30:8, 9...for those who love God and neighbor, stealing is never justified...Matthew 22:39; Romans 13:9, 10...
 
Ahlevah said:
Do the same conditions apply to the renter? I mean, does he have to have no other options and be in danger of death due to, say, the possibility of freezing to death? If not, why not?
Click to expand...
As in can he just squat in the housing unit? Yes.
 
Elvira said:
Stealing is stealing...even in conditions of extreme poverty, stealing dishonors God...Proverbs 30:8, 9...for those who love God and neighbor, stealing is never justified...Matthew 22:39; Romans 13:9, 10...
Click to expand...
Those verses don't talk about extreme need or the universal destination of goods.

CCC 2408: There is no theft if consent can be presumed or if refusal is contrary to reason and the universal destination of goods. This is the case in obvious and urgent necessity when the only way to provide for immediate, essential needs (food, shelter, clothing .*.*.) is to put at one's disposal and use the property of others.
 

You have no morals...
 
Elvira said:
You have no morals...
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Your property rights aren't more important than another's very life. There is no verse that says anything like that.
 
Did you SAVE for unforeseen events?

American Airlines, I’m looking at you.
 
phattonez said:
Your property rights aren't more important than another's very life. There is no verse that says anything like that.
Click to expand...

Denial is not just a river in Egypt...
 

Yes unless your landlord agrees to work with you in some way. Some will, others will not. I had a couple polar opposite landlords in the past. One was a tyrant who evicted everybody in the building (4 units) because one of them pissed her off one day by not doing what she demanded when she demanded it (move an empty keg) and another who would work with you on just about anything. I was never late with either, but things to come up and you hear stories from neighbors to be able to fairly judge how they react to things like late rent. I don't pay anything late. On a lot of things I am paid ahead just in case something happens. My cell and satellite are prepaid for about 4 months currently.
 
Obligations are just that. If the landlord demands, then you have to pay or leave. Landlords often have to pay a mortgage for the property they own and rent out out to others.
 
Bok_Tukalo said:
Did you SAVE for unforeseen events?

American Airlines, I’m looking at you.
Click to expand...
So if you make a mistake or are a victim of unfortunate circumstances you should just die rather than anyone's profits be lessened?
 
Airyaman said:
Obligations are just that. If the landlord demands, then you have to pay or leave. Landlords often have to pay a mortgage for the property they own and rent out out to others.
Click to expand...
The property rights of the landlord are more important than the life of the tenant?
 
phattonez said:
So if you make a mistake or are a victim of unfortunate circumstances you should just die rather than anyone's profits be lessened?
Click to expand...

Rather than breaking God's laws...yes...
 
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