proverb · Words worth keeping
Better an empty house than a bad tenant.
Better an empty house than a bad tenant.
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
Accepting a damaging arrangement may be worse than leaving an opportunity unfilled. Consider the costs of a poor fit instead of treating occupancy or participation as success by itself.
Example
A reading group postpones appointing a coordinator rather than accepting someone who refuses its agreed responsibilities, while arranging temporary shared cover.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
The house is empty in one case and occupied by a bad tenant in the other. The saying judges the damaging occupancy more costly than the temporary absence. Beyond the housing image, it can describe filling a role or accepting a partnership simply to avoid a vacancy. The useful question is whether the arrangement actually serves its purpose. A label such as bad should be supported by conduct and fair expectations, not prejudice about a person’s background. An empty place may also have substantial costs. The comparison calls for judgement about the particular alternatives, not an automatic preference for exclusion.
When to use it
Use it when pressure to fill a vacancy is obscuring the practical consequences of a poor arrangement.
Keep in mind
Assess conduct and fair expectations, not stereotypes; vacancy can also be costly and people deserve a fair process.
An interpretation of the words, not a claim about their earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- Date unknown
- Culture
- English