Why this Gurgaon founder pays ₹30 lakh rent despite his parents having a 4-story house in Delhi

The founder’s post about paying ₹30 lakh yearly rent for a Gurgaon home has prompted various remarks on LinkedIn.

For many Indian families, moving out of a parent-owned home, unless it's for a new job or relocating to a new place, is seen as a massive waste of money. However, one Gurgaon founder is completely turning that mindset on its head, asserting that the "free option was never free." Despite having a rent-free alternative in Delhi, he chooses to shell out ₹30 lakh every year in Gurgaon. Interestingly, he notes that his relationship with his parents is actually warmer and more fully realised because they maintain a healthy distance, showing up for weekend lunches or meetings.

The founder opened up about why he pays ₹30 lakh in yearly rent despite having the option to live rent-free at his parents’ house. (LinkedIn/Rohan Dhawan)

“My relatives lose sleep over the fact that I pay ₹30L in rent every year in Gurgaon when living in my parents' house in Delhi is free. My dad owns a paid-off 4-story house in Delhi. Zero rent if I moved in. But I pay ₹2.5L a month for my flat in Gurugram. Every family gathering has someone pulling me aside about this,” founder Rohan Dhawan wrote on LinkedIn.

He then explained the reasons behind his decision. He added, “So the ₹30L is the price of a morning that sets me up right, a home that functions like a business asset, a marriage that has its own air to breathe, and parents I actually look forward to seeing every week.”

He continued, “And yes, I see my parents almost every weekend. Sunday lunch, sometimes Saturday evening. The relationship is warmer for the distance. I show up fully instead of living parallel lives under the same roof where everyone eventually starts getting on each other's nerves. The free option was never free. It's a different currency I'm choosing not to pay in.”

Take a look at the LinkedIn post:

What did social media say?

An individual wrote, “One of the best things one can do for their marriage is to allow for it to have the space to breathe and grow at its own pace. I wouldn't be able to afford such a place for myself, but I'm so glad to have come across this either way!” Another commented, “You do you, bhai. Relatives are gonna lose sleep even if you just exist.”

A third expressed, “Some decisions for your own self can help you be a better version of you. I recently quit my job and I am looking for a new phase of my life. What other opportunities are there in my life moving forward?”