I've heard a similar story in Ireland, when the bank had already repossessed a property. If they rented it out, they would have to mark down the asset value on

I've heard a similar story in Ireland, when the bank had already repossessed a property. If they rented it out, they would have to mark down the asset value on their books. If they left it vacant, well, some vacancy rate is expected, so keep marking it to the last price it rented for.