(BLOOMBERG) - Should you be a landlord? That's a question some middle-class young people may be asking themselves lately. As millennials ease into early middle age, those with a bit of money saved up will be looking to park it somewhere.

But they should be fully aware of what they're getting themselves into. Housing, historically, has been one of the best investments available, offering returns almost as good as the stock market: This financial return includes the rent housing earns.