By: Dr Christiana Best
June 20, 2025
“Justice too long delayed is justice denied.”
—Martin Luther King Jr.
Of all the roles I’ve played in my life, and there have been many, one of the most frustrating has been that of landlord. I approached it with compassion, responsibility, and patience. I tried to be the kind of landlord I wish more tenants had: someone who listens, who understands that life happens.
When emergencies came up and rent was delayed, I gave grace. When I raised the rent and tenants pushed back, I listened and tried to find common ground. I’m not blind to the housing crisis, especially in cities like New York, where renters face impossible odds: skyrocketing prices, limited options, and landlords who are notorious for neglect and abuse.
I’ve done my best to be different. Still, this role continues to challenge me in ways I never anticipated, not just financially, but emotionally and ethically.
When Fairness Feels One-Sided
One tenant went nine months without paying rent, not due to hardship or illness, but because she was angry I raised the rent. Rather than communicate or negotiate, she simply stopped paying.
What followed was two years in housing court. She used every delay tactic available. Even after signing a written agreement to resume paying the original rent until she vacated the unit, she eventually stopped paying again.
Meanwhile, I remained responsible for everything: gas, water, taxes, insurance, repairs, cleaning the common areas, and paying the mortgage. All while she lived rent-free.
I’ve tried to be fair. I’ve tried to be compassionate. But fairness, I’ve learned, can feel awfully one-sided in a system where tenants have endless ways to delay accountability, while small landlords are burdened with every financial and legal responsibility.
The Hidden Costs of Caregiving
In addition to the property expenses I cover without rent income, I also pay someone to visit my mother daily to administer her medication and dress her wound. I purchase her medical supplies as needed. These are non-negotiable commitments, quiet acts of care that never show up on anyone’s balance sheet but mine.
People see property ownership and assume wealth. They equate being a landlord with being rich. But the reality for small landlords like me is very different. We are often one unpaid rent check, one broken boiler, one court filing away from financial collapse. Behind the title of “homeowner” is often someone barely holding it together, juggling caregiving, working multiple jobs, and doing everything possible not to drown.
Caught in the System
My frustration isn’t just with a non-paying tenant. It’s with the system itself, and the people who uphold it.
My attorney, whom I pay to protect my interests, shrugs and tells me there’s little he can do. “This is just how the system works,” he says. And yet, every time he appears in court, I get another invoice. I asked him, “She’s gone nine months without paying rent. How much longer do I have to tolerate this?” He had no answer.
So I keep paying legal fees, utilities, and maintenance, while my tenant pays nothing. She stays. The lawyer gets paid. And I, the landlord, lose on every front.
How is this fair?
It feels like a racket. And small landlords like me are the ones getting squeezed. Doing the right thing offers no protection. Seeking justice comes with a price tag.
The Weight of Legacy
And still, I hear my mother’s voice: “It’s better to own than to pay rent.” She believed deeply that homeownership was one of the few paths toward building intergenerational wealth. And she wasn’t wrong.
I cling to that wisdom, especially when the bills stack up and the court dates drag on. I want to hold onto this property, not just for me, but for my son. For his future children. That legacy matters to me.
But holding on is hard.
The financial strain. The legal maze. The emotional exhaustion. It’s more than most people realize.
Still, I carry on.
Because for me, ownership isn’t just about equity. It’s about endurance, inheritance, and hope.
Dr Christiana Best is an Associate Professor at the University of Saint Joseph, Connecticut
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