To think this isn't good for my soul

[Mummyyummy2012]

We rent in an expensive part of the south east. We can't afford to buy if we stay here but my kids are happy in school, I have a great career and a great social life.
However, I opened some post by mistake that was for landlord- we've never had post of theirs sent here before so genuine mistake. It was a mortgage letter- their mortgage is £149 a month and our rent is £1100. I feel really sick - we are trapped not being able to save for our own home despite most of our life being good.
I feel a bit sickened by it all- the years are ticking by- I am in my early 40s now- I just want a place to call my own. Aibu to think it's all not very good for my soul to know that the landlord is making so much money out of us and to move somewhere new/ cheaper (would mean a total relocation) ? Most of my life is great but this housing issue is having a big impact on me!

You sound a bit naive.

Of course the landlord is making money, that's the whole point! Life isn't fair, and there's no point being upset about it.

I'll never be able to afford to buy and you know what? So what? I am a low earner but I am happy, live within my means and enjoy my life. Comparison is the thief of joy.

I don't think it's worth basing life decisions on this knowledge, hard as that may be. But I agree it's really shitty. Even taking into account the LL's obligations to keep up the property, outlay in legal fees, etc, they're apparently making a huge profit. It would make me feel down too OP.

I get you OP, its knowing that if you were able to own you would be paying far less than you would be in rent, we are renting too with no prospect of buying. I think there should be some form of rent control introduced as it would lead to fairer rents and less housing benefit paid out to tenants. I suspect that lots of people won't agree with me though.

If OP was renting my flat, the rent would be £600 a week.

My mortgage payments are £1 a month. (I only have a mortgage left because there's a penalty for paying it off early.)

If I sold my flat and invested the money in the stock-market, I reckon I'd be able to take a perpetual income from those investments of about....

.. wait for it ...

... £600 per week.

So if I let my flat out for £600 a week while paying a £1 a month mortgage, once I've factored in various costs and risks, I'd probably not think the £600 a week a good income, and would choose to put my money in shares, rather than being a landlord.

That a landlords monthly mortgage payment is £x is, in isolation, a completely meaningless statistic.