I don't think it's unfair, and this was before I got my estate mind you, because apartments exist. Just like with real life you simply gotta wait for things meant for a select group to open up. I get it, fantasy video game. But there are some inconveniences that aren't that big of a deal.

Now. What I think would be truly fair is if each player, upon unlocking housing via requirements- got a free apartment space as per their grand company. Small, cramped, but still usable and can be worked with. Aion does this and their housing is even harder to obtain because of the way the marketing works. They have to pay rent, but over all it's not a bad place and the area is beautiful and maybe quadruple the size of a housing ward in XIV.

My favorite housing ever was in Wonderland Online. You got a tent. Get to crafting. Want a wall? build it. The whole thing. Want a wall paper? Screw nature, craft the paper. Get pigment from flowers and ink. Want stairs? Better chop those trees (after you make the axe, and that's after you go to the caves for iron ore) open a forgery to make the nails, mix chemicals to get the- you get the point.