Budget+: Is rent-versus-buy really a tax question now?

Team TOI & EYTNN
Feb 2, 2026 | 15:55 IST
Image: AI

The emotional case for owning is familiar, but the financial case now hinges on how rent, home loans and property income are taxed

Rent or own? Reap the benefits of appreciation, even if mellowed, or take up a place of one’s liking, preferably close to the office and cut down the commute? There are advocates of both, pushing for a secured and tangible investment or go aggro on investment instead of getting tied down by brick and mortar, as the case may be. Setting aside the emotional and practical argument of settling down in one’s own home and doing it early, let’s look at what the tax landscape looks like in either case.


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