UBI even worth bothering?

[masterpeastheater]

What would stop every landlord from jacking up the rent by exactly the amount of the UBI? Likewise health insurers, etc?

 

[Jayjay]

What would stop every landlord from jacking up the rent by exactly the amount of the UBI? Likewise health insurers, etc?

You answered your own question. If both landlords and health insurers (and etc) jack up their fees by the exact amount of the UBI, then where does the money come from? People only get one UBI, they can't double spend it to both rents and health insurance, can they? So at worst, the total amount of increase in cost of living can't be more than the UBI. But landlords and other people looking forward to cashing in on the money have to compete with each other, which keeps prices down. Eventually more buildings will be built to match the increased demand.

 

[Treedbear]

What would stop every landlord from jacking up the rent by exactly the amount of the UBI? Likewise health insurers, etc?

Um, capitalism maybe? If landlords have more money from higher rents (and less expenses from having to evict for non-payment) they'll invest in more rental units. So competition for tenants.

 

[TomC]

What would stop every landlord from jacking up the rent by exactly the amount of the UBI? Likewise health insurers, etc?

It's called competition.
This OP implies that landlords, etc, are holding prices down to keep housing affordable or something. Of course not. They're charging as much as they can, given that particular market and what they're offering.
Tom

 

[Politesse]

What would stop every landlord from jacking up the rent by exactly the amount of the UBI? Likewise health insurers, etc?

They're still selling a product, to customers. If those customers are less desperate in the first place, they'll also be less willing to throw their entire income at class warfare's carbetbaggers.

 

[Loren Pechtel]

What would stop every landlord from jacking up the rent by exactly the amount of the UBI? Likewise health insurers, etc?

Competition drives prices to the point where businesses make a reasonable profit margin. The only way you can have sustained profit margins that deviate from this is if you have a monopoly.

If prices drop too low when businesses fail they aren't replaced. If prices go too high more enter the field.

 

[masterpeastheater]

What would stop every landlord from jacking up the rent by exactly the amount of the UBI? Likewise health insurers, etc?

It's called competition.
This OP implies that landlords, etc, are holding prices down to keep housing affordable or something. Of course not. They're charging as much as they can, given that particular market and what they're offering.
Tom

I was most certainly not implying landlords are keeping rents down to keep them affordable. Quite the contrary, rents in most major cities are well ABOVE what any sane
analysis based on actual incomes would conclude the market can bear, there seems to be no limit to what they can charge, so there must be some collusion going on.
therefore with UBI, the sky as limit would be that much higher.

 

[masterpeastheater]

Unless all the landlords collude, which i do think already happens, as rents are already above what any rational analysis would conclude the "market" can bear.
Same with healthcare.

 

[masterpeastheater]

What would stop every landlord from jacking up the rent by exactly the amount of the UBI? Likewise health insurers, etc?

They're still selling a product, to customers. If those customers are less desperate in the first place, they'll also be less willing to throw their entire income at class warfare's carbetbaggers.

Unless all the landlords collude, which i do think already happens, as rents are already above what any rational analysis would conclude the "market" can bear.
Same with healthcare.

 

[Harry Bosch]

Unless all the landlords collude, which i do think already happens, as rents are already above what any rational analysis would conclude the "market" can bear.
Same with healthcare.

The don't need to collude. Landlords can hire agencies and/or appraisers who can determine the market lease rate for a house in an area to within $50 bucks. No problem.

 

[Politesse]

Depends on how you define "collude". They do drive rents slowly up over time, using each other's rental increases as justification.

 

[Loren Pechtel]

Unless all the landlords collude, which i do think already happens, as rents are already above what any rational analysis would conclude the "market" can bear.
Same with healthcare.

Prices are based on cost + reasonable profit, not what people can afford.

 

[Loren Pechtel]

Depends on how you define "collude". They do drive rents slowly up over time, using each other's rental increases as justification.

It's not about "justification", there's no agency they need to justify their prices to.

It's a matter of competition. Charge too much and you don't get renters. If the profit margin is too high somebody will shave their price a little bit and have a lower vacancy rate.