Comment by mustaflex

Not everywhere I assume, my grandfather worked 20 years as a miner in Belgium and his employer left the housing to the city only if they will let the miners stay there for a symbolic some (+-50€). Once the owner died the city immediately tried to change the rent to 500€, but the local miners union fought it and kept the old rent until the union chief died also of old age. There were no one capable of Fighting the legal battle. Basically the city ignored the owner's will to profit from coal miners.