A landlord and his racist slurs

MaltaToday’s most recent probe on exploitative practices in the residential rental market has ruffled feathers once again in the landlord community. 

The probe concerned a landlord, identified by name, who rents out a Mellieħa apartment and has acted abusively towards his tenants. From aggressive behaviour and foul language to racial slurs, this landlord has, on multiple occasions, taken the deposit and first rent, only to kick out his tenants shortly afterwards on some banal excuse and in the process keeping the money. 

After listening to several stories from unconnected tenants who have lived in the apartment at different times, a clear pattern of abuse emerged by the landlord and his wife. In some instances, the behaviour was also criminal. 

MaltaToday’s story was backed up by tenants’ union Solidarjeta, that highlighted the fact that over these past few months, several of its members were illegally evicted and had their rent and deposit stolen by this very same landlord. 

Solidarjeta did not mince its words about where the problem lies: “A lack of regulation and consequences surrounding illegal evictions is encouraging criminal landlords to abuse and exploit tenants.” 

The organisation said that the lack of landlord licensing allows those who have illegally evicted tenants, illegally increased rent, illegally withheld a deposit, been violent and aggressive against tenants, or included illegal clauses in contracts to continue to profit from renting out property. This legal lacuna perpetuates the cycle of abuse and exploitation, especially of those who are vulnerable and unaware of their rights. 

Of course, not all landlords are like the man highlighted in our report. Many tenants attest to the exemplary and human way they have been treated by their landlords. 

Of course, no one expects landlords to provide a social service and the law should also offer them protection in situations where tenants are abusive. 

But this brings us to the crux of the problem. The disgusting and racist behaviour shown by the person in our report is symptomatic of a mentality where foreigners exist to be milked while being told they have no place in Malta. These people are told they are unwanted but still seen as a source of enrichment. 

The reaction by some landlords towards our report can be summed up in the statement: “But there are nightmare tenants and you should report the other side of the story as well.” 

Apart from the fact that MaltaToday’s journalist did give the landlord the opportunity to state his case but refused to do so, this reaction is pathetic in light of what is clearly an abusive situation. 

Unless those landlords who are complaining also behave in the same despicable way, they should be happy that a bad apple has been outed. If landlords act according to the law and treat tenants in a decent way, they should not be bothered if an abusive landlord, who is giving them a bad name, is outed by the media. Our hunch is that those who have complained are not exactly the angels they make themselves out to be. 

But there is also an important point to be made. In situations involving third-country nationals, landlords have the upper hand. They are in a position of power because many tenants are scared of confrontation in a foreign country that is not exactly welcoming. These tenants often do not know their rights and their stay in Malta depends on having an address where to live. In these situations, the cards are stacked against them. 

Any landlord-tenant dispute, no matter how bad, doesn’t need to resort to racist shouting and aggressive behaviour—behaviour which seems to be strictly reserved to foreigners. There are legal means out there for a landlord to get their way without barging into a property, threatening to install cameras, swearing at tenants and treating them like a subhuman race. This behaviour is inexcusable and all bona fide landlords should be condemning it. 

Meanwhile, MaltaToday’s journalists will not be cowed into submission by threats from landlords who believe they can do as they please.