If there were an infinite supply of housing, and tenants could choose landlords, I'd agree with you. In the city I live in, it's common practice for tenants to

If there were an infinite supply of housing, and tenants could choose landlords, I'd agree with you. In the city I live in, it's common practice for tenants to work entirely through agents, and a severe housing shortage means that landlords can get away with pretty much anything. We were not even told who our landlord would be prior to signing the agreement.