The experience of a Bengaluru tenant with his landlord over a strained move out process has sparked a wider debate on the practices followed by landlords and the deductions made from security deposits in Bengaluru.
In a post shared online by the tenant, he narrated how a good landlord-tenant relationship he enjoyed with his landlord, who also stayed in the same housing society, turned sour after he vacated the flat, he had been staying in for nearly two years.
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The tenant had rented a 1BHK flat and stayed in it along with his wife and toddler. He narrated how he had kept a clean and uneventful tenancy and that he and his landlord had become good friends since they stayed in the same society. “No parties, no damage… just normal family life,” he wrote, recalling how the families had even attended each other’s celebrations during the tenancy.
Dispute on deductions after vacating
As per the tenant, the situation had altered as he had handed over the keys and completed the initial inspection with the landlord. While the tenant had admitted to some wear and tear, he had taken the initiative to arrange for the estimates for the painting and deep cleaning, which cost around ₹8,000 to ₹10,000.
Still, the landlord had allegedly introduced further measures with the mention of an “inspection team” and the 10-15 days before finalising the deductions.
“Excuse me…inspection team? It’s a 1BHK, not a pre-launch audit,” the tenant had mentioned, as he was frustrated with the process.
He further mentioned that from the security deposit of ₹1 lakh, he was asked to expect deductions over ₹20,000 for “rent-related adjustments” as the amount was still to be communicated. The tenant also questioned the need for further inspection after the keys had already been handed over.
My landlord went from birthday buddy to UN-level auditor in 20 months 🤡
byu/tenant-warrior inbangalorerentals
Online reactions highlight recurring issue
The post has gained a number of comments from various users, as they claimed that such incidents were quite common in Bengaluru’s rental scene.
A number of users have come up with similar complaints of high deductions for painting, cleaning, and maintenance, while some have complained of a lack of transparency in the settlement.
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One has suggested documenting the condition of the place when moving in and out, while another has suggested legal action in case of a problem. This incident has once again highlighted the concerns of tenants in Bengaluru regarding security deposit issues and a lack of standard guidelines in deductions.
