u/darkSpider14

It’s been 2 years since this happened. I wasn’t an active Reddit user back then, hence the massive delay in posting, but I feel like this story needs to be out there as a cautionary tale for anyone navigating the house-hunting nightmare in Bangalore.

The Setup (2024):
I was looking for a 2BHK in Whitefield. Exhausted from roaming around and dealing with terrible options, I got a NoBroker premium subscription. I finally found a 4th-floor property (no lift) listed for ₹22k/month, but with a whopping ₹1.8L security deposit. Desperate and running out of time on my current lease, I decided to go for it.

I contacted the person listing it via NoBroker. He seemed like a fine guy and asked for a ₹20k token amount to secure the place. I requested that the kitchen cabinets be fixed and the house repainted before move-in. He assured me it would be taken care of. He also casually mentioned that the flat actually belonged to his friend who lived abroad, but he handled all procedures and rent. Red flag #1, which I ignored.

The Red Flags Multiply

1 week before move-in: I asked for the keys and lease agreement procedures. He claimed painting was still going on, and said we could just do the agreement after I moved in. Since he lived in the next building, I trusted him.

2 days before move-in: I asked about keys again. He said he’d leave them with the security guard so I could collect them directly on move-in day.

Move-In Day Chaos:
On August 1st (a peak moving day), I arrived with my wife and a fully loaded Porter truck.
- The security guard had no keys.
- I called the middleman, who suddenly told me I had to get the keys from the actual owner’s mother, who lived 1km away.
- The guard took me there on his bike, weaving through small streets, but he didn't even drop me at the house. He stopped the bike about 100 meters away on a main road near some shops.

He then got on a call for a minute, seemingly asking for permission to bring me closer. After the call, he made me walk the remaining 100 meters with him to the house. The whole vibe was incredibly sketchy and deeply disrespectful—it honestly felt like we were treated as "untouchables" who weren't even supposed to enter the property or be seen near it.
When we finally got inside, an elderly lady (the mother) greeted me and immediately asked: "How can I give you keys when you haven't paid the security deposit?"

It became instantly clear the middleman hadn't communicated a thing. I offered to transfer the deposit online right then, but she flatly refused, demanding cash only. My mind went blank. My wife and the Porter guys were waiting, and the drivers were getting impatient because it was a peak day. To avoid delaying the drivers further, she eventually agreed to give me the keys on the condition that I bring cash by evening.

The Breaking Point:
I rushed back, we unlocked the door, and the Porter guys unloaded all our stuff into the flat and left.
Once the truck was gone, we actually looked around, and it was a disaster. Zero repairs, no painting, and literal hair still in the sinks. Pissed off, I called the mother and asked if I could arrange a deep clean myself and deduct the cost from the security deposit since the house was filthy.
She blew up, got incredibly angry, and told us to vacate the property immediately.

The Aftermath:
It was 10:00 AM, our entire life was stacked inside a dirty apartment, and we were effectively kicked out. We spent the day roaming the area in a panic. By some absolute miracle, we found a fantastic property within the same budget, owned by an incredible landlord (forever indebted to him) in another locality.
But the nightmare wasn't over. Because it was the night of August 1st, trying to book another truck was nearly impossible. I finally managed to arrange a second Porter truck at night, paying a premium rate because of the last-minute night booking. We had to reload everything and finally finished moving into the new place by 6:00 PM.

By the time we finished, it was past sunset. I went to the middleman's house to get my ₹20k token back, but he wasn't home. His family members told us that the owner's mother was highly superstitious and there was a high chance she wouldn't give anyone money after 6:00 PM. Knowing the typical landlord excuses, I decided not to risk handing over the keys that night without getting my money first. I kept the keys as leverage and returned them to the security guard the next day.

What followed was 10 trips back and forth and endless arguments. The mother claimed she suffered a "huge loss" because she held the property for 10 days, and absurdly argued that "hotels charge ₹5,000 a night, so you owe me." She completely ignored the fact that I lost money on double moving charges and legal stress.
Ultimately, I had to spend ₹5k on a legal notice. After a bitter fight and long arguments, I only got ₹10k back. Total net financial loss for me considering everything, not to mention the mental agony.

Lessons Learned for anyone renting in Bangalore:

1. Never trust a "friend of the owner" handling the property without written authorization or a direct line to the owner.
2. NEVER unload a single box until the rental agreement is signed by both parties.
3. Unreasonable deposit demands usually equal unreasonable landlords. If they demand cash-only for lakhs of rupees on day one, walk away.

It’s been 2 years since this happened. I wasn’t an active Reddit user back then, hence the massive delay in posting, but I feel like this story needs to be out there as a cautionary tale for anyone navigating the house-hunting nightmare in Bangalore.

The Setup (2024):
I was looking for a 2BHK in Whitefield. Exhausted from roaming around and dealing with terrible options, I got a NoBroker premium subscription. I finally found a 4th-floor property (no lift) listed for ₹22k/month, but with a whopping ₹1.8L security deposit. Desperate and running out of time on my current lease, I decided to go for it.

I contacted the person listing it via NoBroker. He seemed like a fine guy and asked for a ₹20k token amount to secure the place. I requested that the kitchen cabinets be fixed and the house repainted before move-in. He assured me it would be taken care of. He also casually mentioned that the flat actually belonged to his friend who lived abroad, but he handled all procedures and rent. Red flag #1, which I ignored.

The Red Flags Multiply

1 week before move-in: I asked for the keys and lease agreement procedures. He claimed painting was still going on, and said we could just do the agreement after I moved in. Since he lived in the next building, I trusted him.

2 days before move-in: I asked about keys again. He said he’d leave them with the security guard so I could collect them directly on move-in day.

Move-In Day Chaos:
On August 1st (a peak moving day), I arrived with my wife and a fully loaded Porter truck.
- The security guard had no keys.
- I called the middleman, who suddenly told me I had to get the keys from the actual owner’s mother, who lived 1km away.
- The guard took me there on his bike, weaving through small streets, but he didn't even drop me at the house. He stopped the bike about 100 meters away on a main road near some shops.

He then got on a call for a minute, seemingly asking for permission to bring me closer. After the call, he made me walk the remaining 100 meters with him to the house. The whole vibe was incredibly sketchy and deeply disrespectful—it honestly felt like we were treated as "untouchables" who weren't even supposed to enter the property or be seen near it.
When we finally got inside, an elderly lady (the mother) greeted me and immediately asked: "How can I give you keys when you haven't paid the security deposit?"

It became instantly clear the middleman hadn't communicated a thing. I offered to transfer the deposit online right then, but she flatly refused, demanding **cash only**. My mind went blank. My wife and the Porter guys were waiting, and the drivers were getting impatient because it was a peak day. To avoid delaying the drivers further, she eventually agreed to give me the keys on the condition that I bring cash by evening.

The Breaking Point:
I rushed back, we unlocked the door, and the Porter guys unloaded all our stuff into the flat and left.
Once the truck was gone, we actually looked around, and it was a disaster. Zero repairs, no painting, and literal hair still in the sinks. Pissed off, I called the mother and asked if I could arrange a deep clean myself and deduct the cost from the security deposit since the house was filthy.
She blew up, got incredibly angry, and told us to vacate the property immediately.

The Aftermath:
It was 10:00 AM, our entire life was stacked inside a dirty apartment, and we were effectively kicked out. We spent the day roaming the area in a panic. By some absolute miracle, we found a fantastic property within the same budget, owned by an incredible landlord (forever indebted to him) in another locality.
But the nightmare wasn't over. Because it was the night of August 1st, trying to book another truck was nearly impossible. I finally managed to arrange a second Porter truck at night, paying a premium rate because of the last-minute night booking. We had to reload everything and finally finished moving into the new place by 6:00 PM.

By the time we finished, it was past sunset. I went to the middleman's house to get my ₹20k token back, but he wasn't home. His family members told us that the owner's mother was highly superstitious and there was a high chance she wouldn't give anyone money after 6:00 PM. Knowing the typical landlord excuses, I decided not to risk handing over the keys that night without getting my money first. I kept the keys as leverage and returned them to the security guard the next day.

What followed was 10 trips back and forth and endless arguments. The mother claimed she suffered a "huge loss" because she held the property for 10 days, and absurdly argued that "hotels charge ₹5,000 a night, so you owe me." She completely ignored the fact that I lost money on double moving charges and legal stress.
Ultimately, I had to spend ₹5k on a legal notice. After a bitter fight and long arguments, I only got ₹10k back. Total net financial loss for me considering everything, not to mention the mental agony.

Lessons Learned for anyone renting in Bangalore:

1. Never trust a "friend of the owner" handling the property without written authorization or a direct line to the owner.
2. NEVER unload a single box until the rental agreement is signed by both parties.
3. Unreasonable deposit demands usually equal unreasonable landlords. If they demand cash-only for lakhs of rupees on day one, walk away.

Edit: Formats