The Question of Virtual Property in MMO's

There has been alot of discussion within the field of game studies about player ownership in mmorpg's due to the effort and time a player puts into the growth of their character. [oversimplified of course] The argument runs something along the lines that players should own the virtual property they acquire within the game space - since they earned it, therefore creating the accumulated total of the character. The oppositional argument is that all that is created in the game space is still by way of the game code itself, and the ToS of most games do indeed state that whatever is created within the gamespace is technically and legally theirs.

This got me thinking today, about the apartment that i rent from my landlord. I pay a monthly fee to live in someone else's space...much like monthly fees i pay for Everquest, permitting me to live, when i log in, in the world of Norrath. Now, during the last 5 years - i have paid my landlord rent, and he has upkept the apartment to typical standards - this could be seen as the patches and periodic updates in mmo's. No matter what i put into this apartment by choice such as carpets, decor etc., when i stop paying, i technically move out. I do not own the space that i have called home - and paid for. Yes, i have the option to take the carpets and light fixtures with me, much as i have the option to give my items away in-game before i delete my character or cancel my subscription.

But in the case where my landlord covered the cost of the paint for the upkeep (even if the work was done by myself free of charge) , much like the game offering me the tools to create or develop my character, when i leave i 'can't take it with me'. So the question is then, why do people feel that they own what they create in a game world with someone else's tools? Paid for or worked for, doesnt seem to make a difference to my landlord when its time to move out.