Bengaluru landlord demands ₹5 lakh deposit for flat with ₹40,000 rent. ‘Insane,’ says internet

In the latest chapter of 'Bengaluru Rent Woes,' a woman claims she was asked to pay ₹5 lakh as security deposit on a ₹40,000 per month apartment.

In the latest chapter of 'Bengaluru Rent Woes,' a woman claims she was asked to pay ₹5 lakh as security deposit on a ₹40,000 per month apartment. Harnidh Kaur took to social media to share her renting woes and her post has grabbed eyeballs on X (formerly Twitter), where many said that rent prices in Bengaluru are “out of control".

A woman claims she was asked to pay ₹5 lakh as security deposit in Bengaluru (Shutterstock)

“5 lakh deposit for a flat with 40k rent. I’m so tired,” Kaur posted on X.

In many cities like Delhi, the security deposit is typically one or two months’ rent. In Bengaluru, known for its skyrocketing real estate prices and space crunch, the amount can go as high as five or even 10 months’ rent.

But the general consensus on social media was that ₹5 lakh as security deposit is high even by Bengaluru standards. Social media users pointed out that it exceeds a year worth of rent - which would have amounted to ₹4.8 lakh.

Only in Bengaluru

As Kaur’s post began to go viral online, she received a ton of surprised queries. The Bengaluru-based founder of The Hiring Update said that she did not agree to rent the apartment as it was not worth the ₹5 lakh ask.

“A year of deposit? Which city? When did this become a norm? How come this isn’t unethical?” asked fitness influencer Chirag Barjatya.

“Bengaluru house owners are thieves. They will give you a very hard time when you vacate,” another opined.

“Could be another reason for Nikhil Kamath to buy a house,” X user Niraj joked.

The post also renewed the old debate about which city offers the best quality of life in India. “Delhi is the best place to live in India. Public transport is great, best food, good night life, more green, less traffic, more affordable . We just need to improve the air quality. Mumbai is ahead in law & order scene though definitely but Bangalore has nothing over Delhi,” an X user wrote.

Some wondered whether it would be more financially prudent to buy a house rather than rent at such high prices, while others called out ‘greedy’ landlords for pricing tenants out of the market.