Lol i like how both of these replies seem to concede landlords are like slave owners.
Do you consider mortgages to be the same as renting? They charge you interest in exchange for letting you borrow money to own your home, is that rent? I’m trying to figure out what’s tripping you up. If landlords “provide housing” to those who can’t afford to buy, banks do the same thing. If landlords provide maintenance to a property, maintenance workers and contractors do the same thing. If landlords manage a collection of related properties as in an apartment building, then a housing co-op does the same thing.
In all honesty, I have a really hard time understanding why you think landlords are somehow essential.