"Others favor greater security for renters - such as laws making eviction more difficult" This is nothing more than a government-mandated insurance policy. La

"Others favor greater security for renters - such as laws making eviction more difficult" This is nothing more than a government-mandated insurance policy. Landlords require higher margins due to the risk of freeloaders. Also, landlords may avoid renting to those most likely to be "helped" by such policies. It is ironic that today's laws make home ownership a safer choice if one defaults on payments -- In most states, foreclosure takes much longer than eviction. So, given the choice between renting and taking on an interest-only, no money down home loan, the less risky choice for a family is ownership. Of course, those families couldn't get such a loan today.