Well, two years in that hasn't been my experience. Costs have so far been minimal and well below what rent increases would've been. Things can and will go wrong but it'd take something pretty crazy to nullify the money saved on rent increases already, let alone if things continue as they have been.

Even when a big unexpected house expense inevitably happens I will have had the benefit of having been able to invest the cash that would've otherwise have been spent in the meantime somewhere where it's making some interest instead of going into the black hole of rent with no returns at all.

But if your rent is equal to your mortgage (very doable in many places, albeit for different properties), you do not need to uninvest that money for unforeseen expenses.

Well, it's easy to have two good years. It's also easy to have a bad two years with multiple major repairs.

I went one year where I spent at least $16,000 on repairs.

But that's the point - having $16,000 in repairs unexpectedly is the opposite of "semi-fixed and mostly predictable."

In the 10 years I rented I always rented from small landlords. I had three apartments during that 10 years. Because of that I've never had my rent increase without moving.

As far as black holes go - I spend more than $600/month in just property taxes and insurance. Add to that $360/month currently in interest.