A Bengaluru tenant’s flat hunt took an unexpected turn after a landlord cancelled a direct rental deal days before the proposed move-in date, following a dispute over brokerage involving a broker who had earlier shared videos of the property. The cancellation left the tenant 'scrambling for a place to stay' in the city.
According to a Reddit post, the tenant had directly contacted the owner after being taken to the flat in Cambridge Layout by their domestic help. The tenant said they paid a ₹1,000 token, signed papers provided by the owner and spent the next three to four days discussing the rental agreement and moving arrangements. Believing the deal was final, the tenant also served notice to their existing landlord to vacate by September 15.
The situation changed after the broker, who had previously sent the tenant a video and photographs of the same property, learned that the tenant had finalised the flat without his involvement. The tenant said the broker subsequently demanded a brokerage fee, despite not having arranged the visit or closed the deal. The owner eventually cancelled the tenancy.
“Since I thought the flat was confirmed, I also gave notice to my current landlord that I would vacate by September 15.Now comes the ridiculous part.The broker somehow found out that I had finalized this flat and started demanding brokerage from me, saying that since he had sent me the video first, I owed him brokerage — even though he didn’t take me for the visit or close the deal.And now suddenly, just before my moving date, the owner has cancelled the deal.So now I have already given notice at my current place, the new owner has backed out after taking a token and discussing the agreement with me for days, and I’m basically left scrambling for a place to stay in Bangalore.”
{{/usCountry}}“Since I thought the flat was confirmed, I also gave notice to my current landlord that I would vacate by September 15.Now comes the ridiculous part.The broker somehow found out that I had finalized this flat and started demanding brokerage from me, saying that since he had sent me the video first, I owed him brokerage — even though he didn’t take me for the visit or close the deal.And now suddenly, just before my moving date, the owner has cancelled the deal.So now I have already given notice at my current place, the new owner has backed out after taking a token and discussing the agreement with me for days, and I’m basically left scrambling for a place to stay in Bangalore.”
{{/usCountry}}“I genuinely don’t understand the ethics here. If an owner accepts a token, has the tenant sign papers and spends three to four days discussing the rental agreement, how can they cancel the deal at the last minute, especially after the tenant has made plans based on that commitment?”
The tenant asked Bengaluru Reddit users whether anyone had faced a similar situation, whether there was any realistic recourse, or whether they should simply take back the token and restart their house hunt.
Redditors divided over who is at fault
The incident sparked a debate among Reddit users over who was at fault. One Redditor blamed the owner, arguing that if the tenant had signed an agreement, they could consider enforcing it and seek legal advice if the cancellation caused financial loss or left them without accommodation.
“The fault here lies with the owner. I believe the broker must have pressured the owner to not accept your tenancy since you did not pay brokerage and might have even added a condition that owner pay brokerage instead in case he won't cancel your tenancy. Sort it out with owner. If you've signed an agreement already, enforce it. Seek legal advice if you're in dire straits with nowhere to go and no time to hunt again and if you're losing money here.” a Redditor wrote.
The tenant claimed the owner told them the broker had been associated with her for about 35 years and usually brought tenants for her properties. According to the tenant, the broker pressured the owner after learning that the property had been rented directly.
Another Redditor, however, took the opposite view, arguing that the tenant owed brokerage because the broker had initially introduced them to the property, even though the tenant ultimately visited and negotiated directly with the owner.
(Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.)