Landlord-tenant disputes over security deposits are not uncommon in Bengaluru. Now, a Reddit user has brought one such dispute into focus after claiming that his landlord is withholding nearly ₹1.1 lakh from a ₹1.3 lakh security dispute after he vacated a 3 BHK villa in Bidadi.
In a Reddit post titled 'Landlord withholding almost ₹1.1 lakh from ₹1.3 lakh deposit after vacating 3BHK villa in Bidadi - what can we do?', the tenant said that he had rented the villa for around 2 years and paid ₹1.3 lakh as an advance or security deposit. He vacated the property earlier this year in June, but claimed that the deposit was not returned for months.
According to the tenant, the landlord has now said that only around ₹19,000 will be returned after deductions. He acknowledged that his rental agreement required them to get the property painted when vacating. He said that he was unable to complete the painting before shifting, but questioned the amount being charged by the landlord.
"So, out of ₹1.3 lakh, approximately ₹1.11 lakh is being deducted, leaving us with only about ₹19,000," the Redditor wrote.
{{/usCountry}}"So, out of ₹1.3 lakh, approximately ₹1.11 lakh is being deducted, leaving us with only about ₹19,000," the Redditor wrote.
{{/usCountry}}"Our concern is not that we should pay nothing for painting. We understand that there was a painting obligation in the agreement," he added. However, he claimed that a large amount was being deducted towards painting and labour, in addition to ₹16,000 towards the last month's rent.
"The issue is that the amount being deducted appears excessive and exorbitant, particularly when we haven't been provided with proper bills/receipts or a clear itemised calculation supporting such a large deduction," the tenant said.
He also questioned whether the owner could deduct the entire ₹16,000 as "last month's rent" in the circumstances. The Redditor said they had documents including the rental agreement, proof of payment of the ₹1.3 lakh deposit, messages exchanged with the owner and details of when they vacated and handed over the property.
Seeking advice from other users, the tenant asked whether he should first send a formal written demand seeking an itemised statement and bills or invoices for every deduction. He also asked whether he could challenge painting and labour charges he considered unreasonable, send a legal notice if the remaining deposit was not returned, or approach a consumer or civil forum.
What did social media say?
The post drew several responses from users who claimed to have faced similar disputes with landlords in Bengaluru.
One user wrote, "Welcome to Bangalore. I paid 75k deposit for a tiny 1bhk in Koramangala and stayed for some 7 months. Rent was 24 K. Dude deducted 1 Month Rent, 1 Month Rent as Painting Charges, 15 Days additional rent - because I informed him on 7th that I'm moving out, 1000 Electricity charges. The walls were perfectly fine, I asked him does he really need to deduct full month for painting? I can paint it myself- he said, it doesn't work like that and cut entire money. Btw, he rented it out the very next day I moved out so there was actually no painting done. Yeah this is how Bangalore landlords are."
"Check with legal groups about your rights to question this deduction. Ideally, Owner should provide a proper breakup of the deduction. The process should be transparent," commented another.
"Go to the police. I know its scary, but the landlord needs to know, he cant get away with random nonsense. And since you are asking, this path worked for one of my friends," suggested a third user.
"This has become common and nightmare in Bangalore, they will take the whole deposit and tell everything is adjusted. Go to court don't leave these idiots," said another.
(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.)