> It's an expected gift for owning the house. it's not a gift (implying it's free). Owning capital has a cost - the cost of capital (aka, the cost of money).

> It's an expected gift for owning the house. it's not a gift (implying it's free). Owning capital has a cost - the cost of capital (aka, the cost of money). At minimum, the cost is the risk free interest rate. The owner paid a pretty penny (or borrowed, at a higher than risk-free rate) to buy the property. The previous seller did the same, or invested capital in building the property itself. So therefore, "owning a house" is the last chain in a sequence of investments, all of which costs money.