Updated September 2026. Housing eligibility, financing and tax rules can change. Verify the current position for the exact household.
Renting or buying: five decision tests
- Eligibility and timing: confirm the housing types and schemes available now and within the likely planning horizon.
- All-in cash flow: compare rent with downpayment, duties, loan payments, maintenance, renovation and reserves.
- Flexibility: consider work, relationship, household and location changes.
- Ownership horizon: allow for transaction costs and the risk of needing to sell earlier than planned.
- Resilience: stress-test rates, income interruption and emergency liquidity.
Renting is not automatically wasted money, and buying is not automatically an investment gain. The right choice depends on optionality, affordability and the exact home.