These businesses should be paid by the landlord to occupy (and therefore maintain) the property for them. This notion that you can own land without occupying it (or paying somebody to occupy it) is an absurdly backwards idea that is responsible for a lot of suffering and exploitation in modern society.
We've constructed a bit of a euphemism for this. "I just want to make a living to put food on my plate". Except it's not the food that's expensive. It's the rent. Which in many places, for low income earners amounts to greater than 50% of their take home pay.
In my city there are dozens of empty stores in the CBD "for lease" as if there is no demand for use of these properties. Absolutely ridiculous. Strangely enough, everyone thinks that renting a home or workplace to occupy is a perfectly normal thing to do.
We've constructed a bit of a euphemism for this. "I just want to make a living to put food on my plate". Except it's not the food that's expensive. It's the rent. Which in many places, for low income earners amounts to greater than 50% of their take home pay.
In my city there are dozens of empty stores in the CBD "for lease" as if there is no demand for use of these properties. Absolutely ridiculous. Strangely enough, everyone thinks that renting a home or workplace to occupy is a perfectly normal thing to do.
Would be great to have a discussion on this.