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Delhi woman shows property's neglected condition after landlord deducts security deposit: ‘How petty and greedy'
The woman said that her landlady told her that the security deposit would be reduced because she had removed barbed wires from the entrance.
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A Delhi woman recently shared a glimpse of the property she rented for three years after claiming her landlord planned to deduct money from her security deposit over barbed wire at the entrance.
Sristy Choudhury, founder of Delhi Poetry Slam and Two Roads Studio, shared a video on Instagram showing the property and explaining her experience while vacating the premises. In the video, she alleged that her landlady questioned her about removing bamboo structures from the property. She explained that she had got the structures built herself and was taking them down while leaving.
According to Choudhury, her landlady then told her that the security deposit would be reduced because she had removed barbed wires from the entrance. “What about our security? You took out the barbed wires from here. So now we are going to minus that from your security deposit,” Choudhury quoted her landlady as saying.
Choudhury then showed the entrance where the barbed wires had been installed. “The barbed wire she’s talking about, the way it was put up here—oh my God! No business would want it here,” she said in the video.
She also showed seepage inside the property, while questioning why she should have her deposit deducted over the wires. “This is so unfair. I mean, for years we have dealt with a property that was neglected, and I’m going to show you something,” she said, before showing the seepage.
“Look at this. That’s the kind of seepage I have dealt with. But you know what? Let’s deduct the security deposit for barbed wires. How petty. How greedy,” she added.
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In the caption, Choudhury said she had found the property in a condition that “most people wouldn’t dare to take” when she moved in three years ago. “After 3 years I am vacating this property. I found it in a condition that most people wouldn’t dare to take it up in, but I did. And now that I am leaving I am trying to give them the place in a better condition than I ever found it,” she wrote.
“But I am amused at the kind of reasons that are being given to steal my deposit. I don’t know if I should laugh or cry,” she added.
In the comments section, Choudhury further alleged that the property had been “totally rundown and unused for years” and that the entrance gate had been covered with barbed wires.
She said the wires had to be removed so that the gate could be used as the entrance to her business, adding that the landlords were aware of and involved in the decision. “Even when the next tenant comes in, they won’t let the entrance look like that. Because how the hell would clients wanna walk through a gate that looks like that,” she wrote.
“I created such a welcoming space and maintained cordial relationships with them, I am so sad to see them act so petty when it’s time for me to leave,” she added.
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Social media reactions
The post prompted several users to share their own experiences with landlords.
One user wrote, “Things Delhi NCR landlords do in the name of ‘the damage you caused to our property’. 14 years of living in NCR and found only 1 landlord who didn’t deduct my security deposit for lame ass reasons.”
“So sorry you have to deal with this I hate when they do this no morals or ethics,” commented another.
“I am angry for you guys. You created something beautiful and leaving it is already emotional and difficult, top it off to deal with such petty vindictive people. Not worth the time and effort. You guys will make something even better wherever you end up!” wrote a third user.
“They are the leach of society. Please do share her picture,” wrote another.
