Didn't word that well, agreed. But you need solid profit up front to backstop for emergencies and risk. I would be a one man, one house operation. I couldn't spread the risk around like a corporate landlord with 100 or 1,000 properties.

If landlords were content to just break even

After paying on the property, maintaining and improving it, I deserve no profit for my 20-years of labor?

Are you saying that workers should be content to merely break even for their labor? Your labor is worthy, but mine is not?