Busting the "Greedy Landlord" Myth

While there are certainly slumlords out there, the National Apartment Association (NAA) has shared an infographic that helps show how many, if not most, are simply small business owners trying to stay afloat. 

Only 9 cents of every $1 of rent are returned to owners as profit, NAA reports, noting that these owners are themselves small businesses and rely on this revenue to make ends meet, or are investors, which includes public pensions and 401(k) plans on which many Americans rely.

Of the remainder, 38 cents of every $1 pays for the mortgage on the property, 11 cents are spent on capital expenditures, 10 cents cover payroll expenses, and 15 cents go to property taxes.

"From supporting 17.5 million jobs to the dollars reinvested into apartment communities to ensure quality living for more than 40 million residents, and through paying property taxes that finance schools, emergency services and other local needs to investor returns that include public pensions and 401(k)s, a rent payment is much more important than one might otherwise realize."

Check out the full infographic with more details at Explaining the Breakdown of One Dollar of Rent | National Apartment Association (naahq.org)