SER
Serina Therapeutics, Inc.
stock NYSEAMERICAN

If I have predictable income and no 'unexpected circumstances', yes.
But:
1. In my country in last 10 years rent was tripled. That means, even if I decide to be smart cookie and plan to pay rent through dividends I won't be able to execute my plan.
2. Housing is not flexible. You need one housing and you can compromise on quality, but you can't compromise on buying one. The moment you can't afford buying housing with normal means, you are in tight squeeze to get those money even by hurting other protected budget positions (e.g. childcare, medical, food security, etc).
3. Rental market is subjected to surges. In my town there was a moment when big company moved there and there was literally no decent rental offers on the market for few months, so people have to compete with each other for rent of the specific place. Non-decent meant huge, huge compromise in safety and quality (including low energy efficiency, which means, even more spending on cooling).
The property is the 'emergency fund for housing' for the next 50 years. Also, property usually the least de-valuated thing with time.
Moreover, owning property allow to defer maintenance spending in case of financial emergency for a rather long time, so while you may see expenditures matching (It's not people are owning, renting and having difference as investment return), you can delay most things for years. No so much with rental payments.
There is also QoL thing: to get a flat with a top-tier A/C (19dB noise, SER 5.5, etc) you need to pay some absurd monthly fee (because no one put high end A/C into rental property). For yourself you can get it for less than of €1.5k (inc. work). Same for important bits (different for different people) - nice windows, good flooring, good kitchen appliances, etc, etc.
Even having a hole in the wall is the luxury only owners can afford.

If I have predictable income and no 'unexpected circumstances', yes.
But:
1. In my country in last 10 years rent was tripled. That means, even if I decide to be smart cookie and plan to pay rent through dividends I won't be able to execute my plan.
2. Housing is not flexible. You need one housing and you can compromise on quality, but you can't compromise on buying one. The moment you can't afford buying housing with normal means, you are in tight squeeze to get those money even by hurting other protected budget positions (e.g. childcare, medical, food security, etc).
3. Rental market is subjected to surges. In my town there was a moment when big company moved there and there was literally no decent rental offers on the market for few months, so people have to compete with each other for rent of the specific place. Non-decent meant huge, huge compromise in safety and quality (including low energy efficiency, which means, even more spending on cooling).
The property is the 'emergency fund for housing' for the next 50 years. Also, property usually the least de-valuated thing with time.
Moreover, owning property allow to defer maintenance spending in case of financial emergency for a rather long time, so while you may see expenditures matching (It's not people are owning, renting and having difference as investment return), you can delay most things for years. No so much with rental payments.
There is also QoL thing: to get a flat with a top-tier A/C (19dB noise, SER 5.5, etc) you need to pay some absurd monthly fee (because no one put high end A/C into rental property). For yourself you can get it for less than of €1.5k (inc. work). Same for important bits (different for different people) - nice windows, good flooring, good kitchen appliances, etc, etc.
Even having a hole in the wall is the luxury only owners can afford.