• Rivalarrival@lemmy.today
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    6 months ago

    We need to establish an owner-occupancy exemption to property taxes. Owner-occupants of 1-4 unit structures owe 50% of assessed property taxes, and are credited for the other 50%. Non-occupant owners pay the full tax rate.

    Non-occupant landlords can avoid the taxes by issuing a land contract or private mortgage instead of a rental agreement. The “tenant” becomes the deed holder, and gains equity in the property.

    • Cyclohexane@lemmy.ml
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      6 months ago

      Is that enough incentive for the landlord to do this? I think they would still rather rent it out and raise rent prices to account for the difference.

      • Rivalarrival@lemmy.today
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        6 months ago

        Some certainly will raise rents, but at the margins, it will certainly have effects. It will definitely influence investor ROIs in the right directions: harming institutional investors, while benefitting local landowners and tenants.

        The numbers I gave might not be the right ones. They might be far too much, or far too little to achieve the degree of market influence we need.