From your description, it seems to me that renting is cheaper than buying. So it seems renters get the better deal.
It's a pity if a flat is empty for a year, but that in itself also does not cause a shortage. After all, it was rented out after a year.
The market is supposed to deliver the flat to the person who needs it most. In that case, apparently it was you. Without the speculator, somebody would have rented it for a very low price long ago, and you would not have been able to live there at all. So maybe the market worked.
It's a pity if a flat is empty for a year, but that in itself also does not cause a shortage. After all, it was rented out after a year.
The market is supposed to deliver the flat to the person who needs it most. In that case, apparently it was you. Without the speculator, somebody would have rented it for a very low price long ago, and you would not have been able to live there at all. So maybe the market worked.