[jstanley]

OK, how about this. Buy a house, and offer it up for rent at twice the going rate. See how easy you find it to get a tenant.

[antisthenes]

You do realize the action you described reduces the aggregate supply of housing and drives up prices by itself, right?

[mhermher]

Now repeat that with not just one house, but let's say thousands of houses.

[maxsilver]

> OK, how about this. Buy a house, and offer it up for rent at twice the going rate. See how easy you find it to get a tenant

You say that as if it's ridiculous, but that is literally happening in many cities right now, word-for-word exactly as you described.

"OK, how about this. Buy up the municipal water supply and offer it at twice the going rate. See how easy it is to get people to pay the water bill" -- it turns out everyone who can possibly pay, will still pay. Because water, like housing, is a basic human necessity.