When you rent a house or apartment, you usually have to pay the first and last month’s rent – or the first month’s rent and a deposit. If you don’t host wild parties and keep the place clean, you usually get your deposit back. In some cities, where the rental properties are abundant, landlords are offering one or two months' free rent. When renting instead of buying, there are no closing fees, mortgage interest, property taxes, private homeowners’ insurance, or maintenance costs that return nothing on an investment. So why do you want to buy again?
Zhang Jun/Xinhua/Photoshot/Newscom/File
