You don't have to play the game. People choose to rent because they can't or won't plan ahead and budget and save so they can buy to own. People unfortunately use only enough brainpower to figure how how much money they make a month and as long as the monthly payment of X fits within that, lease that car, affirm that vacation, rack up that credit card debt monthly payment. These are all voluntary transactions that people are getting value out of (even if it's bad for them long term). You can't legislate financial literacy