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NRI woman blasts Indian landlords in Canada over 'no boys, veg only' rental ads: 'Insanely moronic'
An Indian woman living in Canada expressed her frustration over rental ads that discriminate based on caste and language.
An Indian woman living in Canada has voiced frustration over discriminatory rental ads posted by Indian landlords abroad. In a Reddit post addressed to the NRI community, she expressed embarrassment at listings that specify preferences based on caste, religion, language or dietary choices.
“I’m an Indian living in Canada and honestly, I’m beyond frustrated and embarrassed by the kind of rental ads I keep seeing,” she wrote in a Reddit post addressed to the NRI community.
“It’s always something like ‘Only Gujarati girl,’ or ‘Punjabi-speaking vegetarian girl preferred,’ or ‘South Indian girls only, no boy inquiries please.’ Some go as far as saying ‘Strictly vegetarian, no non-veg even from outside,’ or ‘We are looking for someone who speaks our mother tongue only,’ ‘follow our religion only,’” she wrote, adding that such ads had left her shocked.
Questioning the landlords’ intentions, the woman accused them of ignoring housing discrimination laws. “You’re not in India anymore, where you can get away with putting up caste, language and dietary restrictions in rental ads like it’s normal,” she added.
Take a look at the post here:
While she said she understood homeowners wanting compatibility with tenants, she criticised these kinds of advertisements for promoting blatant exclusion.
“If you’re that picky about language, food, and background, maybe just don’t rent the place out? Or live with your family? This isn’t a matchmaking service. They’re not requesting to marry you. I can eat whatever I want or speak in whatever language I want as long as I’m following the lease agreements and paying you the rent. I also don’t have to be an ‘Indian only’ to rent from you. This is so insanely moronic,” she wrote.
Indians abroad react
The post drew mixed reactions from social media users living outside India. While some agreed with her sentiments, others called her out for targeting “individual preferences.”
“I have been in Vancouver for a few years now, and from my experience, never rent from desi landlords. No sense of privacy, basic manners like taking permission and a minimum 24-hour notice before showing up,” said one of them.
Another wrote, “This is the biggest red flag for moving into an apartment. You are basically going to move back to India the moment you step into this house.”
Others, however, argued that since the landlords owned the property, they had the right to choose who lived there according to their preferences.
