Expanding on that logic a bit, you may be able to cover the mortgage from 5 or 10 years ago when the landlord bought the house, but not today. Or you may not wa

Expanding on that logic a bit, you may be able to cover the mortgage from 5 or 10 years ago when the landlord bought the house, but not today. Or you may not want to lock yourself to one area for 5+ years, so you choose to rent instead of buy. Or you may not want the hassles of homeownership.