The owners generally bought the building with the work done by them or their parents did. It's an investment. Also, the kind narrative you are proposing - and

The owners generally bought the building with the work done by them or their parents did. It's an investment. Also, the kind narrative you are proposing - and that is taking more acceptance in society lately - only makes building owners more weary and afraid of renting directly to someone that might decide they are entitled to the space without paying their due rent, so yes, of course they choose more and more to have the protection from a safe mega corporation.