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Your first job. New city. Everything is exciting and slightly terrifying.
You have two weeks to find a place. You are doing it from your phone, from another city, based on photos someone else took, trusting people you have never met.
This is how most young professionals in India find their first rental. And it is also how most of them make their first expensive mistake.
Here is what no one tells you before you go.
Your budget is not just the rent
The monthly rent is one number. The actual cost of moving in is a different number entirely. Add the security deposit — legally two months in Karnataka, but often pushed higher. Add brokerage — typically one month’s rent. Add the first month upfront. On a ?15,000 a month room, you might need ?45,000 to ?50,000 ready before you move in.
Know this before you start looking. It changes which options are actually available to you.
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Visit before you pay anything
Every single time. No exceptions. Even if the photos look exactly right. Even if someone vouches for the place. Even if the owner has good reviews online.
If you cannot visit — because you are relocating from another city — ask a friend, a colleague who is already there, or anyone you trust to visit and video call you from inside the flat. Look at the water pressure. The locks. The neighbourhood at that time of day.
Get everything in writing
The rent amount. The deposit amount. What it covers and what it does not. Who pays for repairs. The notice period. The conditions under which the deposit is returned.
WhatsApp messages count as written records. So does email. If your landlord says something verbally that matters — follow it up in writing. “Hi, just confirming what we discussed — notice period is one month and deposit is two months rent.”
This habit protects you later. Completely free. Takes thirty seconds.
Read the agreement before signing
All of it. Especially the clauses about notice periods, deposit deductions, and rent increases at renewal. These are the three areas where most first-time tenant disputes happen. If something in the agreement does not match what you were told — ask before signing, not after.
The rental market in India is getting more formalised. Your rent payment history is starting to matter as a financial record — almost like a credit history. Starting right sets you up well. Starting poorly is expensive to fix.
