> These businesses should be paid by the landlord to occupy (and therefore maintain) the property for them. Maintaining the property and occupying the property

> These businesses should be paid by the landlord to occupy (and therefore maintain) the property for them. Maintaining the property and occupying the property aren't the same thing. It doesn't make sense to equate the two. Landlords are responsible for maintaining the property. Maintaining commercial real estate is actually quite expensive. It's definitely less expensive to own and maintain an empty property than to own and maintain a property with $0 renters who are putting wear and tear on it.