[ruiseal]

Many non-professional landlords don't ask for references nor do background checks, they just give you a contract. So I imagine it's pretty easy to continue to do the same trick over and over unless they somehow manage to get their face in a local paper.

The effect of this is more reluctance to rent out for fear this will happen. Or only rent to rich foreigners who won't pull this scam. Lest the landlord find themselves in debt.

Also, the okupa is very much deciding to do this knowing they can get away with it.