2 days ago
‘Bengaluru landlords are becoming a menace': Founder vacates 2BHK, gets hit with ₹55,000 painting charge
A founder's post claiming a disheartening experience while changing rented houses in Bengaluru has hit a chord with LinkedIn users. The IIT-educated entrepreneur claimed that his landlord presented him with absurd charges that left him only 40% of his original deposit of ₹1.5 lakh. Frustrated, he added, 'Bengaluru landlords are becoming a menace.'
Shravan Tickoo claimed that the landlord never directly spoke with him, citing she only knows Kannada and always communicated with him via a building manager.
'There were always rumors that the owner had harassed previous tenants over the same issue. So, when the time came, I was mentally prepared. Still, when I finally left, I tried to stay civil. But then came the blow: Painting charges - ₹55,000. Miscellaneous damages - ₹25,000+,' Tickoo wrote. He added that he was further charged ₹2,000 for 'lift usage'.
'After a lot of back and forth, she returned only ₹68K out of my ₹1.5 lakh deposit, citing ₹82K for painting and damages. I had asked her to provide a list of actual purchases, with invoices. All I got was a handwritten sheet with random charges. So in the end, I got back just about 40% of my deposit,' he continued.
He further expressed that he takes the blame for not doing proper due diligence, adding, 'But the reality is, dealing with landlords in Bengaluru is just disheartening.'
An individual claimed, 'It's not just Bangalore. I got scammed similarly by my landlord when I was in Chennai. India has no regulations that create a fair platform for tenants, even though rental income constitutes 50% of real estate revenue in metro cities.'
Another added, '1st lesson: Never give such a high deposit.' A third joined, 'This is a scam in itself, very rampant in Bengaluru. I faced it myself. Thankfully, it was a 1-BHK, and the amount wasn't as big. But I didn't get a single rupee back. The police wouldn't do anything.'
A third wrote, 'Dealt with problematic landlords a few years ago and ended up not moving to Bangalore at all!'
