A LinkedIn post by tenant Tanvi Mittal has sparked a heated debate on rental exploitation in metro cities after she revealed how her landlord unfairly deducted ₹30,000 from her ₹1,04,000 security deposit, despite leaving the flat in perfect condition.
Tanvi and her co-tenants vacated their Hyderabad apartment on January 31, 2025, expecting a full refund. However, after repeated reminders and pleas, they received only ₹74,000 on March 9, 2025, with ₹30,000 deducted for questionable charges.
She highlighted how the landlord and his manager imposed exorbitant and unjustified deductions, including:
- ₹15,000 for AC servicing, despite the unit being fully functional and used for only 3-4 months.
- ₹5,000 for RO servicing, when a brand-new RO costs only ₹4,000.
- ₹5,000 as “move-out charges”, allegedly to compensate the manager’s PA for coordination and travel.
When they questioned these charges, the manager ignored their calls, and when they reached out to the landlord, he redirected them back to the manager, refusing to take responsibility.
The post struck a chord with many tenants who shared similar experiences. Several users called out the lack of regulations and the ease with which landlords exploit tenants.
One user wrote, “Probably how they make money for funding their tax-evading businesses.” [sic.]
Another pointed out the systemic issue in India’s rental system, saying, “In India, this process happens privately between the landlord, tenant, and/or broker, which is riddled with bad faith actions like these. We need a system like here in the UK, where the government has a tenancy deposit protection scheme.”
A tenant who had rented a flat in Bengaluru shared their ordeal: “Since I have stayed in a few cities, I can tell you Mumbai & Kolkata are by far better in these scenarios. In Bengaluru, I rented out a flat, Rs. 40K deposit, didn’t receive back a single dime, even after I stayed only for 10 days and left giving one-month rent. The guy told me he will do his annual financial reconciliation and after that, he will pay 😀… he never did.”
Another user highlighted tax evasion in rental agreements, stating, “In Delhi, they deduct for a few things and take payment purely in cash… way of tax theft. However, the good thing is they charge only one month’s advance.”
Tanvi has made it clear that if the remaining amount is not refunded, she will take legal action against the landlord.
In an update, she revealed that the landlord is now pressuring her to take down the post, stating he will only sort things out if she removes it. However, she remains firm, standing by her demand for fairness.
Her experience has highlighted the rampant exploitation of tenants in India’s metro cities, sparking an urgent conversation about tenant protection laws and the need for better regulation in the rental market.
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