Well said Aviduser.

As homeowners ourselves abroad, there is is no financial gain to be made by keeping a unit empty. It is the sheer greediness of the landlords here, who rent badly built homes at huge prices.

I know that we would rather rent ours to someone trustworthy for less money, knowing that one day the place will be fully paid and in decent order. Here they just care about the money. It's funny but doesn't religion (any religion for that matter) refer to 'greed' as a sin?

"The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated." Mahatma Gandhi