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I've been lucky to have a nice landlord for a while until he sold the rental unit, then the new landlord started charging more for laundry/parking/anything the

I've been lucky to have a nice landlord for a while until he sold the rental unit, then the new landlord started charging more for laundry/parking/anything the law allows. He also tried his best to increase rent. You must have heard that the ultra low vacancy situation leads to rent bidding wars and whatnot[1]. The renting market is current a seller market. Being a home owner you have to be in the market once. One good rational decision and you are set. Being a renter means being the buyer all the time. At least for me I dont want to spend the extra time to learn the skills to be an expert renter and try to outsmart the landlord year after year. [1] http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/vancouver-rental-market-bidding-war-1.3680027 http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/vancouver-ren...

mattnewport 10y ago
Protections for renters are pretty strong in Vancouver, there's not much landlords can do to increase the rent faster than the cap. I don't really know what you mean by being an expert renter, certainly there are far fewer things you need to know about to avoid being burned than if you buy a property. In the modern world I know of very few home owners who are in the market once. Most people have housing needs that change over time: marriage, kids, job changes (wanting a shorter commute), changes in financial situation. It's generally easier to adapt to those quickly as a renter. Nowadays I tend to go for furnished rentals. I don't have any more desire to own most of the contents of housing than I do to own the property. That means moving is relatively low cost and effort if my housing needs change.