It's not like owning land is free... There are mortages to pay, maintenance costs, costs to having an empty apartment sit there between renters, a cost to find

It's not like owning land is free... There are mortages to pay, maintenance costs, costs to having an empty apartment sit there between renters, a cost to find renters, upgrade costs, furnishing costs if you do that, taxes, security, management, regulations, savings for a crisis (if you're a responsible landlord), etc etc. Sure landlords can make a lot of money but it's not like they're some fountain of money that won't go bust after months of no rent. Not to mention most landlords have a job anyway.