My remark about "not hitting people who own one property which is their primary residence" doesn't say anything about second or third property owners. I'm against harassing two-property owners with taxes and even three. Some people have reasons for living in two places and don't want to rent: they have their things there. (I think I said something to that effect in my original comment.)

I'm with you about the undesirability of these investment firms who hog up properties; the tax structure could easily be set up to squeeze them out, while encouraging the small owner rentals: people who have two or three places.

These firms are basically parasites who contribute to the housing problem as much as home flipping speculators. It should be entirely unprofitable for someone to have like twelve properties. We simply cannot have that in cities where affordability is spiraling out of control.

Maybe once upon a time chains of managed condo buildings and such owned by big companies wasn't a problem; it could be high time to crack down on it.