Hey, this is something that is eating me up lately and I'm not sure what to do or where to turn. Some context to the title:
I have a very good friend who I've known for years (he and his fiancée are both going to be members of my own wedding party) who I care about a lot. That being said, he comes from a family where his parents started their own company and both they and his brother do landlording on the side. He usually has a cycle of thinking about joining in and then backing out, and he is back in that mindset again. He's very frugal so he's saved up quite a but and after getting furloughed for a while he seems a bit more serious than usual. He's aware of my politics and I think I've been slowly making him see the light, but I'm at a roadblock. How do I tell this guy that I don't think he should be a landlord because they are scum, without also saying that I essentially think his family are scum? Is it even possible? I just feel like I need to say something if I want to call myself a leftist actually dedicated to making the world a better place. Thoughts?
I have a follow-up question for people who know shit:
I'm in the position to buy a house soon, and given the typical stock of the city I'm buying in, it's very likely to be either a duplex or have an ADU in the back. What's the best way that I, as a communist, can use this resource to provide housing for people in a non-exploitative way? "Rent" it out at essentially the cost of utilities? I'd say form a co-op with it, but I think that having a co-op of 2 people where one has more than 50% of the shares is a pretty undemocratic way to do things as well. Any thoughts?