Ok, well, if not rich, it sounds like you have the choice of buying or renting. Lucky you! I don't know anyone who has that choice. The person I responded to initially only meant, I guess, that some people who have the choice, prefer renting. Hm..but they were also talking as if people without the choice, like renting:
> it would be nice to live in a world where everyone is wealthy and capable enough to own and maintain their home. But there are actually people who like to rent
It just sounds like landlord's rationalizations. Also, the landlords here don't "take care of building..the house"—that happened 100-150 years ago or so.
I strongly doubt GP has a choice. Not rich + insane rent means he's probably building up saving too slowly for a house near where his social group is.
It sounds like you've been burned by a landlord in the past and are taking it out on all of them unfairly.
I hate the concept of a landlord, paying a lot without building any equity, unlike a mortgage on property. But I've never had one that does absolutely nothing.
Between tenants, my landlords vacuumed, repainted, sometimes re-carpeted if needed, removed old tenants belongs left behind, etc.
I've had landlords be good about replacements of major appliances too. One thing I learned is you need to be assertive and advocate for yourself. Persistence and following up until they do something is key.
But I've had multiple washing machines, laundry machines, and garbage disposals be replaced for no charge to me, without me doing anything but letting them into the house.
I'm still getting a bit ripped off with inflated rent, but that type of convenience takes a lot off my plate.
I rent, and am plenty fine with it. One thing I like is that we get a yearly home inspection. Some people surely dislike the thought of people trouncing through their inner sanctum, but what it means is that every year they find things that need fixing, and fix them. Last year we got a new (and better) stove out of it. The year before we got our washer/drier dismantled, fully cleaned, and rebuilt with a few new parts, and a new water heater.
They want to keep their units in good condition, and I don't have to do much of the hard work to keep it that way. Air filters are pretty much the only utility maintenance we have to do.
Also, if you have rowdy neighbours, there isn't a whole lot you can do about that if you own and they aren't actually breaking any laws. Our landlord has been rapid at addressing neighbour complaints. However, I have rented a number of different places, and this particular landlord is the first and only one I've had that actively tries to maintain peace and order as well.
I don't think we really disagree, I think we just live in very different places. My point was that renting has benefits in some places, whereas you implied it does not.
> it would be nice to live in a world where everyone is wealthy and capable enough to own and maintain their home. But there are actually people who like to rent
It just sounds like landlord's rationalizations. Also, the landlords here don't "take care of building..the house"—that happened 100-150 years ago or so.