Should She Stay or Should She Go?: A Business Ethics Dilemma

Authors

Ann Yost WilgerFollow
Evan SiberellFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2-26-2025

Abstract

This persuasive essay argues that rental real estate investors can serve as ethical stewards of the communities in which they invest. Communities with a disproportionate share of low-income and poorly educated populations are especially vulnerable to predatory rental practices. By examining the ethical frameworks of existentialism, which emphasizes individual responsibility and authenticity, Kant’s ethics, which advocates for treating tenants with respect and dignity, and Sidgwick’s dualism, which calls for a balance between self-interest and the welfare of the community, the essay underscores the choice investors have to act ethically versus the false notion that most landlords are greedy profit-mongers who will always choose to do the wrong thing for more money. The essay will tell the stories of several rental property owners who have made investments with the intent to better the lives of not only their tenants, but also the entire community by prioritizing fair rental practices and quality building investments and maintenance. Through these lenses, we conclude that ethical stewardship in rental real estate is possible and common, even in cities that we would expect to be magnets for predatory practices.

Course Level

BUMG 6100: Regulations & Ethics in Business

Advisor

Claudia Hanrahan, PhD

Recommended Citation

Yost Wilger, Ann and Siberell, Evan, "Should She Stay or Should She Go?: A Business Ethics Dilemma" (2025). Business Ethics. 15.
https://digitalcommons.shawnee.edu/business_ethics_3100/15