Whomever buys a house in order to buy a house isn't thinking the right way. You buy a house because it's the right fit for getting the right house in the right location at the right (for that time) price, at the right (for that time) mortgage interest. You buy a house to have the housing you want at a fixed cost. Your situation of controlled rent is very unusual in the rental market overall. Inferring from that experience that renting is superior overall is quite the mental leap.