The tech boom in Bengaluru has created a surge in demand for rental properties, making life tough for the city’s working-class house hunters. Soaring rents and exorbitant security deposits are only the tip of the iceberg, as landlords add to the stress by asking for all sorts of personal information.
In this era of over-sharing, landlords in Bengaluru are taking it to the next level, requesting LinkedIn profiles, college details, and even mini autobiographies from prospective tenants. As frustrations mount, tenants are turning to social media to air their grievances in the IT capital.
A viral tweet from a user named Shubh recently highlighted the bizarre standards set by some landlords. In this oddball case, the landlord rejected a tenant because his Class 12 marks didn’t meet the arbitrary 90% threshold – despite the fact that marks don’t have much bearing on someone’s ability to rent a home!
Shubh’s tweet, featuring screenshots of the conversation and a cheeky caption, quickly gained traction: “Marks don’t decide your future, but it definitely decides whether you get a flat in Bangalore or not”.
As if dealing with Bengaluru landlords wasn’t challenging enough, the city has now surpassed Mumbai in charging the highest proportion of property value as rent. It’s no wonder that tenants are feeling the pinch, as they juggle ever-increasing costs and the endless personal questions from their potential landlords.
(With inputs taken from agencies)
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