To question the ethics of second or third home ownership in this economy is to fundamentally misunderstand the principles of individual rights and capitalism. The ownership of multiple properties, whether for personal use or as investments, is a legitimate exercise of one’s right to property.

If an individual acquires additional homes and chooses to use them as passive short-term rentals, they are engaging in a voluntary exchange that benefits both the owner and the renter. The owner provides a service that meets a demand, and in doing so, utilises their property in a manner that they deem most productive and beneficial to their interests.

To vilify such actions is to ignore the essence of a free market: the freedom to use one’s property as one sees fit. It is not the responsibility of the individual property owner to solve broader societal issues such as housing shortages. These issues are often the result of flawed government policies, restrictive zoning laws, and bureaucratic inefficiencies that stifle development and drive up costs.

Instead of condemning those who successfully navigate the market, one should advocate for the removal of these artificial barriers to housing development. By unleashing the full potential of a free market, more homes can be built, and more individuals can benefit from the prosperity that follows.

The person who turns their extra property into a vacation rental is not a POS; they are exercising their rightful ownership and contributing to the economy. It is through such entrepreneurial spirit that society advances. The true villain is not the property owner but the collectivist mindset that seeks to punish success and undermine the principles of individual liberty and free enterprise.