Jude Knight has lived on Aelfleda Terrace in Whitby for about 26 years and is now renting a house nearby.

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He said he knows he could be evicted from his home in Second Life, and he equates his situation to renting a house.

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You might want to rethink renting a beach house this year.

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Everyone simply wants to make their homes livable again, said Ray Marten, whose home in the Belle Harbor section of New York City's Queens borough burned down when a fire swept along his street during the storm, and whose family of six is renting a nearby house.

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Last fall, location manager Carol Flaisher knocked on the door of the Conways' rural-looking, 1820s home, assured the couple that she wasn't a crazy person and asked if they would consider renting out their house for a BBC film with the British actress.

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Some suggested that would-be leaseholders were also overwhelmed by the building's iconic status, in the sense that it would feel a bit like renting office space in the White House.

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Hence owning your own house has a tax preference relative to renting.

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As a result, they are buying their first house or flat at a later age than previous generations, and renting for longer.

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Since they have experience with rental property and have friends and family in the area to keep an eye on their house, as well as a strong rental market in their area, they feel comfortable with renting out their home.

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