“basically nothing back at all,” or, “ the time value of money.”

We must differentiate between capital and land. They aren’t the same thing. OP is saying that his landlord is profiting off land. This is indeed doing nothing, and has nothing to do with the time value of money, in the sense that the time value of money is due to capital, not land.

This is a common misunderstanding. Henry George made it very clear in the 1890s where the distinction lies.