Just five days ago, Nikhil Sheoran was a happy man. The Bengaluru-based entrepreneur thought his long hunt for an apartment in the city had finally come to an end. He even took to social media to share a picture of his new place, holding the key to the flat in his hand. “War is over?” he captioned the pic.
Sheoran’s happiness, however, was short-lived. As of this morning, he is homeless again — having been asked to vacate the apartment for being a ‘bachelor’.
‘Bangalore landlords so hostile’
Sheoran, the Bengaluru-based founder of Backdoor, took to social media yesterday to express his disappointment and frustration at being asked to leave.
Despite his stellar credentials as a Birla Institute of Technology (BITS) graduate and serial entrepreneur, Sheoran had fallen victim to the prejudice plaguing many unmarried men (and women) looking for homes in India.
{{/usCountry}}Despite his stellar credentials as a Birla Institute of Technology (BITS) graduate and serial entrepreneur, Sheoran had fallen victim to the prejudice plaguing many unmarried men (and women) looking for homes in India.
{{/usCountry}}“Bangalore landlords so hostile, if they find out you’re a bachelor they will take you back and shoot you in the head,” he vented on the social media platform X, sharing a photograph of his WhatsApp exchange where he was asked to leave the flat.
The exchange apparently took place with the president of the residential society where Nikhil Sheoran had found a flat to rent.
Exchange with society president
“Speak to your owner and look for another flat please. Thanks,” the president told him, wasting no words on whataboutery.
The founder of Backdoor pointed out that he and his flatmates had already paid the security deposit and had a rental agreement in place.
The president of the society, however, refused to budge. Instead, he told Sheoran that he had already spoken to the owner of the flat and communicated the residents’ decision that bachelors should not be allowed to rent homes there.
“Yes, we have communicated the association's decision that no bachelors allowed. Please work with your owner to vacate at the earliest. Thanks,” the president told Sheoran over WhatsApp.
The incident has again highlighted how landlords hesitate to rent their homes to bachelors. Sheoran called it “casual discrimination and harassment” on X, where his post has gone viral with over half a million views.
“This is so stupid. Sorry you have to go through this,” wrote one person in the comments section.
“It is not legal. Association by laws don't override laws of the state/country,” another said.
“Send him a legal notice asking for compensation for damage and inconvenience and the harassment, and tell him if he doesn't pay tell him to sue you and you will act on court order,” a third suggested.