Compare the responsibilities of renters and home owners.

In general the owners of single-family homes have fewer
legal responsibilities than renters do.  However, they have more financial
responsibilities.

Renters have entered into leases that
spell out their responsibilities.  They must generally, for example, maintain their
homes in a condition that is similar to that in which they found it.  For example, they
can typically be penalized if they cause damage to walls or if they leave an apartment
in a state in which the landlord deems that it needs to be cleaned.  Home owners have no
such legal responsibilities.  People who own their own homes can make holes in the walls
if they want to.  They do not need to have the home clean when they leave.  These are
things that are up to them.

However, owners have financial
responsibilities.  If the toilet breaks in an apartment, the landlord is generally
responsible for fixing it.  If you own your own home and the toilet breaks, you must pay
to fix it.  In other words, the financial responsibility for the upkeep of the home is
yours.