Major Landlord Owned by Israeli Firm Evicts Tenants at 9 Times National Rate

" . . . According to Thomas Birmingham of The Nation, American Landmark, a major corporate landlord with roughly 34,000 units concentrated in 111 complexes across eight Southern states, is now America’s 34th largest landlord.

A review by The Nation and Type Investigations of thousands of eviction records reveals the company files eviction notices at extraordinary rates. At Conrad at Concord Mills in Charlotte, American Landmark files evictions at nine times the national average.

The company’s CEO Joseph Lubeck confirmed that displacement is an intentional strategy in an interview that The Nation conducted with him. “When we take over a property, the first analysis we do is how much is the rent going to go up, and how many can afford to stay,” Lubeck said. “We typically raise the rent anywhere from $100 to $400, so some people are absolutely displaced.”

Based on company modeling, Lubeck said only “55 percent of existing residents stay,” while 45 percent “move out.” With roughly 70,000 tenants, that means around 30,000 people left their homes after American Landmark acquisitions.

These displaced American tenants share an unexpected connection with Palestinians living under Israeli occupation.

As Birmingham reported, American Landmark is almost entirely owned by Elco, one of Israel’s largest corporations. For years, Elco’s Electra Super Brand has done extensive business in Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, which drive thousands of Palestinians from their homes and are considered illegal under international law.

The Nation and Type Investigations identified at least 29 American Landmark properties where eviction filing rates exceeded twice the national average in early 2025. At Celsius Apartment Homes in Charlotte, the rate reached 82 percent. One complex in Houston recorded 70 percent, while another in Summerville, South Carolina hit 58 percent.

Tenants reported surprise fees totaling at least $150 monthly, including a mandatory $100 technology package, according to interviews The Nation held. When tenants fall behind on rent, American Landmark disconnects internet and cable while continuing to charge for these services, then adds a $75 reconnection fee.

The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights cited Electra Ltd. in its database of over 150 companies doing business in settlements. Birmingham highlighted that in 2024, the American Friends Service Committee listed Electra among companies that “directly facilitate and enable human rights violations and violations of international law as part of Israel’s prolonged military occupations, apartheid, and genocide.”

"These displaced American tenants share an unexpected connection with Palestinians living under Israeli occupation"

"...American Landmark is almost entirely owned by Elco, one of Israel’s largest corporations."

So, an Israeli owns it and runs it like it is in Israel, however names it American Landmark. Hiding in plain sight?

"The company’s CEO Joseph Lubeck confirmed that displacement is an intentional strategy....."

I don't understand that strategy?

"Tenants reported surprise fees totaling at least $150 monthly, including a mandatory $100 technology package, according to interviews The Nation held. When tenants fall behind on rent, American Landmark disconnects internet and cable while continuing to charge for these services, then adds a $75 reconnection fee."

Of course tenants are going to fall behind on rent when you suddenly charge them a lot higher rent, and not only that, force them to do fries with that. Then you cut off their possible income stream if they are work from home. And to add fuel to the fire, charge them a $75 reconnection fee.

This is a good prime example of why there are tenants unions and they try to change laws. I guess gods people don't know how to do unto others and you would have them do unto you.

I wonder how many of these evictions are actually warranted if Israel were to play nice and not cause problems? No wonder they are always at war.

Maybe I am just reading into it wrong?

"...American Landmark disconnects internet and cable while continuing to charge for these services..."

"....continuing to charge for these services...."

Definitely not legal or right to continue to charge someone for services you are no longer providing, with the exception of collecting what was due and they didn't pay.

Offhand, CA historically used a 30 day notice to terminate tenancies for no reason on month to month, then if I remember correctly a Chinese LL bought up a lot of CA apartments then started issuing 30 day notices eviction en masse. The backlash caused a change in the law favoring tenants.

Yes, W - we all have to suffer because of the backlash from the actions of a few.

Article was informative until the Palestinian connection. Then it seemed to just be biased against Israelis.

It seems to be a common practice for a new managing company to raise rents. If their business model can survive while expecting close to 50% instant turnover then let them do it.

I am not in agreement with the tactics, but I know that they exist.

Also I have to agree that the fries with that scenarios can be getting out of hand. I have considered renting new appliances but have not gone there yet.

Having all the fees and charges might make the rents look better at first, but almost seems as if you are tricking people into renting the place.

My nephew had an apartment in Knoxville and the fees and add ons were amazing. Talk about "running it like a business". Every year the rent went up and not just by a little. Start the lease, there was a fee. End the lease there was a fee.

I am not against making money but there has to be some balance.

It seems the just of this article is to stir up racial dissent against Israeli's. For the record, people moving out because their rent went up is NOT eviction. Again, why note facts when you can gaslight your readers.

Smear campaign. We all of us are quick to evict tenants who don't pay.

It sounds like they go in and buy undervalued apartments and bring them up to market. Sorry, but I can find no fault in that.

Really? They are evicting Palestinians only? They are political evictions? No, but that is most certainly hinted at, and I am sure it is worded that way to bring their readers to draw the wrong conclusion about it.

".....thousands of eviction records reveals the company files eviction notices....."

"....eviction records....."

I don’t know what is true or not about the article but I do know that corporate greed is the reason we are seeing so many laws that hurt all of us.

I had this exact same discussion with a large local landlord who bought properties is mediocre areas that had room for rent increases. He would buy the property and immediately give out large rent increases, $200 or more. That obviously wouldn’t be a problem for many of you but for the average lower middle income tenant it would push their budget over the edge. So how many families is someone willing to push out of their homes for the money? Does it feel okay to you? It doesn’t to me. The fact that it’s not illegal does not make it okay. When I spoke to the big landlord referenced above that’s the response he gave me was exactly that, I’m not breaking any laws and it doesn’t make me a bad guy.

"..... for the average lower middle income tenant it would push their budget over the edge."

I THINK THEY TOOK MY CLASS! and learned to evict promptly.

Some states can take forever so gotta start right away.

But adding "surprise fees" to people who are already at the spending max sounds like a recipe for disaster, esp in our current high price groceries economy.

Yea, The writer lost me when it became ethnic, but maybe that's the theme of that newspaper.

Still, 70,000 tenants is impressive.

BRAD

I THINK THEY TOOK MY CLASS! and learned to evict promptly.

Some states can take forever so gotta start right away.

But adding "surprise fees" to people who are already at the spending max sounds like a recipe for disaster, esp in our current high price groceries economy.

Yea, The writer lost me when it became ethnic, but maybe that's the theme of that newspaper.

Still, 70,000 tenants is impressive.

BRAD

Jacking up the rent all at once on all your tenants and

evicting promptly might be legal but can result in backlash:

"On Saturday morning, the burned body of Menachem Stark, the prominent Hasidic landlord who was kidnapped outside his office in Williamsburg during Thursday night’s snowstorm, was found in a dumpster on Long Island. On Sunday, the New York Post speculated as to what might have motivated someone to kill Stark.

As it turns out, the father of seven was involved in some shady business practices: Tenants had complained online and in-person about Stark’s management of his buildings; a contractor told the Post that Stark refused to pay him; and an investigator told the Post that Stark “defaulted on more than $30 million in real-estate loans in recent years and owed tens of thousands in penalties for building violations.” “He’s a Hasidic Jew from Williamsburg, and we think he’s a scammer,” said one unnamed source. All of this information was contained in a cover story with the tasteful headline, “Who didn’t want him dead?”

The paper has issued a response to the outrage, saying through a spokesman that, “The Post does not say Mr. Stark deserved to die but our reporting showed that he had many enemies, which may have led to the commission of this terrible crime. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family at this time of loss.” Those angry about the story are unlikely to get more than that out of the notoriously stubborn publication."

Thank you for the wise words about stirring up the pot. Most mom-and-pop landlords try to become invisible. That reminder though is still valid.

"Murphy's law of Combat - Don't look like an aircraft carrier."