In video ‘mockumentary,’ taxes, regulations drive Burlington landlord to homelessness

By Guy Page on November 12, 2020

BY GUY PAGE ON NOVEMBER 12, 2020 • ( LEAVE A COMMENT )

When it costs too much to be a landlord, just be homeless.

In her latest satire documentary, Burlington landlord, “Generally Irritable” video series producer, and Senate candidate Ericka Redic describes how she can afford to keep the Staniford Road home of four generations of her family – by renting every apartment in the house (including her own) and building and living in a ‘temporary structure’ on the nearby Burlington Bike Path.

Ericka Redic explains tongue-in-cheek how she’s beating Burlington’s landlord-unfriendly system by being a “homeless landlord.” YouTube link

Here’s an excerpt:

“There’s been a lot of changes over the last few years that have made it a lot harder to be landlords here. What kind of changes?

“Well, tax increases for one thing. Tax increase after tax increase after tax increase. It’s literally like every single time you turn around or sneeze, the taxes are increased. It’s like rabbits. All of a sudden we just get a notification that there’s new taxes or some new regulation or some new thing that they’re gonna make us do.

“This is my favorite. There is this program from Efficiency Vermont. They can test where you need to upgrade your insulation, or if you need a new furnace and all this stuff. Oh, I was like ‘Sure, $16,000 worth of renovations! They recommended $200 a year in savings on our gas bill. 80 years to recoup the cost. They’re trying to make that a permanent requirement for landlords. I’ll be dead when those savings are realized. You’re welcome, granddaughter!

Here’s the deal. I’m a resourceful person and, um, I don’t take things lying down. So I said ,”you know what, I’m just gonna live on the bike path. It’s totally legal to live on public property.”

See all eight minutes of “Ericka: The Homeless Landlord.”