<prompt> Human: Hello wonderful pf community. This is in partial response to yesterdays top post entitled Buying a house responsibly impossible for many?. While this was a great post, Id like to point out that renting isnt half bad for what you get. A rent payment doesnt just cover the roof over your head. You also get:- Included appliances, such as stove, dishwasher, fridge, laundry units, etc. This could cost thousands of dollars out of your pocket when you own. To not only buy the equipment up front, but also repair them.- Lawn care. You either have to buy your own mower upfront and be out in the hot sun for two hours every Saturday, or pay a lawn guy. - Amenities. If your rental has a pool, gym, etc. you might pay a slight premium in rent for all of these, but the value is still there. Gym memberships are costly these days. Pool ownership and maintenance is a hassle any current owners know this is true. - Above all else, flexibility to move at basically anytime, so long as you have the cash on hand to buy out of your lease. With a house you have to factor in: possibly being underwater if you dont have enough equity, the extreme length of the sales process even in a good market it could take up to a year!, and in a worst case scenario not even being able to sell it. Im sure everyone already saw the leave your current job every 5 years or so to get a significant raise post. What if the next great opportunity is across the country? Ya never know.All this is not to say that renting beats homeownership. Certainly the huge advantage of having no mortgage payment at the end of your 30 years or however long is great. But you have to do it right to make it work. Just hoping to change the minds of some rent averse people!Edit 1: Also property taxes!Edit 2: Its been pointed out that if you rent a house rather than an apartment that some of these perks wouldnt be included. But you also get more square footage and more freedom not having to worry about pet regulations, not having neighbors literally on top of you, etc.  <response>: Ive done both... rented and owned. In my opinion, if you understand the pros and cons of each, you can make an educated decision, youre better off. Buying can be a huge mistake for some people, and for some people so can renting. Know yourself, and what you want, and youll make a good decision. 