> The rent you pay covers all the landlord's costs, and then some. That's not true at all. Most landlords are cash flow negative for the first 10 years. What

> The rent you pay covers all the landlord's costs, and then some. That's not true at all. Most landlords are cash flow negative for the first 10 years. What a landlord can charge is based on what the market will bear, not their expenses. And market is made of all landowners, including the ones who have no mortgage and can afford to charge less. Also, in California, the landlord who has owned for 30 years pays about 10x less in property taxes than a new buyer, so they can give a discount for that too. In almost all cases, if you were to purchase the house you rent, you'd pay significantly more in mortgage+taxes+maintenance than when you were renting.