Granny flat / Semi-detached house advantages

I think it is a combination of a nice landlord and rapidly rising prices. The landlord does not squeeze out everything he can and refrains from increasing enough. A factor is certainly that many small landlords do not even know what the apartment costs them (including reserves, depreciation, and opportunity costs!) and they also do not know the comparable rents. In other words, they are not even able to calculate their return properly. And when prices suddenly take off (like in the last decade), the allowed increases no longer keep up. Besides, I also have the feeling that many small landlords shy away from conflict with the tenant.

You mean buying is more expensive than renting? That is illogical and in my opinion already an example of the "wrong education" by the state.

Sort of. One difference is that the landlord can deduct all costs while you as an owner-occupier cannot. 2% depreciation, renovation costs, interest. This creates quite some room for profit, and it is not completely illogical that a rental apartment can be cheaper than the exact same apartment purchased.

No, buying is not per se more expensive than renting, but it requires available capital or corresponding creditworthiness. The cases you mean, who actually have enough wealth and/or income for property in the same residential area, would not be so strongly affected by increased rents today that they have to move out. That is what I mean by "not being able to keep up." The chain of logic is not convincing to me.

And then there is also what added.

That there are perverse incentives from the state, I agree with, but I am convinced that some goods need to be strongly controlled and some rights especially protected. For me, this definitely includes housing, drinking water, food (not luxury goods), health, energy, and possibly even the internet nowadays.

No, buying is not per se more expensive than renting,

I do think so - of course, it depends on the period. Someone who pays rent their whole life certainly has paid off 2 apartments.

Besides, I also have the feeling that many small landlords shy away from conflict with the tenant.

I think, especially in these times, it’s simply about decency and good will. We have the rent of a longtime acquaintance and pensioner for a 130 sqm house with 650 sqm garden in the middle of DD at 700 cold for years. If we put the house on the market, we would certainly get over 1000. As long as we can afford it, she continues to pay the 700.

Yes, when you know each other and maybe are even friends, another element comes into play. One of the reasons why I don't rent my condominium to my best friend, even though it would fit very well (he actually feels the same). Currently, I have an acquaintance in mind who is a teacher. So it should be sufficiently secure. But even with him, I would feel greedy if I were to, for example, agree on a graduated rent increase of 3% annually. Objectively, though, that would be completely acceptable and legally flawless.

It’s really about decency and goodwill in these times, in my opinion. We have been charging the rent of a longtime acquaintance and retiree for a 130 sqm house with a 650 sqm garden right in the middle of DD at 700 cold for years. If we put the house on the market, we would certainly get over 1000. As long as we can afford it, she will continue to pay the 700.

It honors you to do that. But you surely have the house as an investment and not to hand out kindnesses. And an investment that simply leaves 30-40% of the return on the table is no longer a good investment. But it confirms again the point that renting is often cheaper than buying.

Whoever pays rent their whole life has certainly paid off 2 apartments.

But what about homeownership? After a few decades, a major renovation is due, which costs a lot of money. And you also pay a lot of interest on the loan; at 3-4%, you quickly end up paying about 50% of the purchase price in interest over the entire term. So homeownership is much more expensive than it appears. And most take the home to the grave, so they don’t financially benefit from their property. (This is not meant to discredit real estate itself, I just want to show that some commonly heard statements are not as simple as they seem)

Yes, when you know each other and maybe are even friends, another element comes into play.

It's not that close. She is the widow of one of our craftsmen, who has done work for us quite often.

But you surely have the house as an investment and not to distribute kindness.

Neither. It is family property and it is rented out. Nothing more, nothing less.

But with a home of one's own?

The reference must of course always be the apartment/house where the tenant currently lives. Whoever rents a house can, in my opinion, also buy it if it were offered to them.