Overheard at the LFGSS golf club bar

Are you a parasitic rent-seeking landlord if you don’t charge any rent?

An old family friend of ours, who lives in Lewisham, lost her army officer husband to an IRA assassination. She received a large payout from the MoD and also her husband's pension as a lump sum.

She decided to use that money for good and bought up some Lewisham property that she has been using for means tested sheltered housing for the most vulnerable for the last 25 years. Most don't pay anything at all.

I know this is irrelevant but I felt that it was an interesting csb. The only scenario that I would own residential property other than my main residence, would be to do something like this.

And before any of you cnuts who know me in real life point out the hipocracy in this. Yes, my views have changed.

You're still taking away housing from those that need it and are probably still sitting on it as an "investment" and therefore perpetuating the downward spiral of unaffordable housing. If that house was to be worth £0 tomorrow would you keep it?

Edit - this is in the hypothecical situation of someone having a second house they aren't using but "rent" it out for free.