An economist will tell you that there's no difference between renting the house and renting the money. They are, of course, wrong.

Well, aside from the fact that a mortgage company won't insist on entering the property every three months to tell you off for not hoovering, won't refuse to fix the boiler then tell you off for getting it done yourself, won't insist on the cheapest and/or ugliest materials for any maintenance that needs doing, won't randomly give your keys to strangers without warning you, won't be able to kick you out at two months notice if they feel like it...