Conservatrolls: "Why do liberals hate lil' ole' mom-and-pop landlords just trying to make ends meet?"

Followed by: "Why don't liberals do something about the sudden explosion of vagrants everywhere?"

A landlord having the option not to write a new lease after the old one expires is not a "loophole," it is a basic principle of contract law. A lease is a business relationship for a defined period of time. One might very well want to rent a unit out for only a limited time and the lease accomplishes that. It also give the tenant protection from rent increases for the term of the lease, which is not a trivial benefit.

There are all kinds of reasons that a landlord might want to keep control of when a dwelling becomes vacant. Does Rich believe that moving into a rental house entitles a tenant to stay there as long as they want, with the landlord having no control over that?

Also, "smoking inside" is not a trivial thing. If the apartment stinks (and ordinary cleaning will NOT get rid of stale smoke, btw), it is MUCH harder to rent out. Most people don't want to live in a place that smells like an ashtray. I pass no judgment on jumping off balconies, however.

While I agree with much of the content, this style of writing, and general ignorance of the Legislature, is why I lament that the Stranger let go of Lester instead of Rich. Next to Mudede, Smith might be the worst writer on staff.