'Bengaluru landlords are the greediest': Canadian man slams Rs 23 lakh security deposit demand

Canadian digital creator Caleb Friesen, and (right) the property listing he came across. (Image credit: Caleb Friesen)

Canadian digital creator Caleb Friesen has once again lashed out at landlords in Bengaluru after coming across a listing that requested Rs 23 lakh as a security deposit for a 4-BHK independent house. Calling the city landlords "greediest in the world," Friesen pointed out that their counterparts in some of the biggest and more developed international cities ask for only a tiny fraction of the deposit that those in Bengaluru ask for.

"Bengaluru landlords are the greediest in the world. Rs 23 lakh security deposit (12 months rent) is OUTRAGEOUS," he wrote on X on Monday. Friesen contrasted this starkly with global rental norms, where deposits in cities like NYC and Toronto are typically one month, Singapore one month per year of lease, San Francisco two months, Dubai 5%-10% of annual rent, and London 5-6 weeks' rent.

The listing stated that the 4,500-square-foot, fully furnished independent house was located in Bennigana Halli.

Bengaluru landlords are the greediest in the world

Rs. 23 lakh security deposit (12 months rent) is OUTRAGEOUS

meanwhile, deposits in other cities:

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NYC? 1 month
Toronto? 1 month
Singapore? 1 month per year of lease
SF? 2 months'
Dubai? 5%-10% of annual rent
London? 5-6 weeks' pic.twitter.com/WPkl5o40C9

— Caleb (@caleb_friesen2) July 21, 2025

Social media reaction
Friesen's post sparked a discussion on X about the absurdity of rental prices in Bengaluru when compared to those in other domestic and international cities.

"Hong Kong is the most expensive rental market in the world and even here its just two months," commented user Ruzaan (@imruzaan). "Same (as global norms) in most other cities in India. Chd/Delhi/Ggn/Hyd everyone does 1 month," added entrepreneur Shantanu Goel (@shantanugoel).

Another X user said that high deposits might be a way for landlords to deter runaway tenants. "Imagine the tenant running away with furniture & appliances after missing a few months of rent. Runaway tenants problem is very real and landlords eventually over time learn that high advance avoids such problems," Vinay Raikar (@vsr) wrote.

Rs 19.25 lakh security deposit for a 3 BHK apartment
Friesen's recent post comes around three weeks after the digital creator took to X to vent his frustration with the city's exorbitant housing costs after he came across a property listing in Bengaluru's upscale Diamond District in Domlur, which sought Rs 19.25 lakh security deposit for a 3 BHK apartment with a monthly rent of Rs 1.75 lakh.

"Rs 19 lakh for security deposit! Absolutely bonkers what landlords are expecting these days," Friesen exclaimed in his viral post, adding, "I could literally buy a new Mahindra Thar for less than this deposit." His exasperation resonated widely, especially after he comically turned down a flatmate offer, explaining, "Sadly it's me, my wife, my son, another baby on the way + our maid, so you'd be getting five flatmates in your 2 BHK."

The recent brush with Bengaluru's challenging rental market comes the Canadian content creator and father has been looking to return to the city after a brief stay in Mizoram. He originally moved to Bengaluru eight years ago, driven by a desire for "passive growth"—a personal evolution he believes "just happens when you change your environment."

Bengaluru records steepest quarterly rental hikes in India
According to data from Magicbricks, a digital property search platform, average rentals in major metro cities saw a sharp increase of 10 percent between January and March 2025. Data showed that Bengaluru (15.7 percent) and Pune (12.5 percent) recorded the steepest quarterly rental hikes, while rental growth in Noida was 7.9 percent in Q1 2025.

Vishal Raheja, founder and MD, InvestoXpert, told Moneycontrol that India’s rental market is undergoing a structural transformation and the rental hikes, particularly in Bengaluru and Pune, point to more than just post-pandemic recovery.

“They reflect a fundamental rebalancing of demand across innovation-driven urban clusters, where rapid job creation in tech, R&D, and start-ups is outpacing housing supply. Bengaluru’s surge, for instance, is closely tied to the return of talent and hybrid work models that demand proximity to core tech zones without full-time office constraints,” he said.