Beyond Eviction: Factors at Play in Landlord Power

This thesis explores the landlord-tenant relationship from the perspectives of landlords, investigating the role of eviction in their lives and the other tools and strategies they use in their practices. Based on field observations and the interviews of landlords in Burlington, I explore the factors that influence how the landlord-tenant relationship in one city can allow the preservation and growth of financial assets with or without eviction. Using qualitative semi-structured interview techniques, I held conversations with landlords across Burlington as well as with key informants and experts in the local housing landscape. Drawing on emergent themes in my analysis, I discuss how responses from landlords in the interviews reveal how landlords use communication to reinforce and legitimize existing power dynamics. Factors like location, finances, and maintenance significantly influenced landlords’ responses and influenced their communication with (and authority over) their tenants. This study opens the door for future research into the profit margins of landlords and analysis of the public discourse surrounding development and property ownership in Burlington and Vermont more generally. This study, and subsequent research, could give critical context to influence local policy initiatives