[andrewaylett]

There's nothing actually wrong with renting, if there's enough supply to stop profiteering by landlords.

What's frustrating is when (as appears to be obnoxiously common in the UK) affordability requirements for mortgages mean someone "can't afford" to buy even when their mortgage payments would be less than their current rent. While the landlord probably has an interest-only mortgage and doesn't pay tax on their mortgage payments.

Here's a thought: tax landlords based on their self-assessed property value, but make it so that the tenant has the right to buy the property for that amount.