Bengaluru man flags 'biggest scam' when it comes to rental security deposit: 'happened every time'

Bengaluru rent and security deposits have been soaring of late. (Representational)

In a tweet that sparked a wave of shared grievances, Varun Mayya, a tech entrepreneur, lamented a troubling trend faced by renters in Bengaluru.

Mayya tweeted, “the biggest scam in Bangalore is when you are leaving an apartment and the owner sends you a fraction of the security deposit claiming “damage” or something despite no evidence. I’ve lived in maybe 10 apartments and this illegal retention of deposit has happened every single time.”

Mayya’s frustrations resonated widely, with 1.1 million views, with other renters chiming in to describe similar experiences across Indian cities, highlighting a larger pattern of alleged unfair deposit retention.

Apart from this, Bengaluru security deposits are now sky high with many landlords reportedly asking for 10-12 months of security deposit.

According to one commenter, this issue transcends the Silicon Valley of India, extending to cities like Gurugram and Mumbai. “You are insanely lucky if you get >70% of your security deposit back,” said one respondent.

In response to Mayya’s tweet, one based user suggested a humorous workaround: “Best way to avoid [it] is [to] hand over the apartment to a new tenant and take the deposit amount from them.” However, others noted that such informal solutions might not always be feasible, especially when confronted by uncooperative landlords.

the biggest scam in bangalore is when you are leaving an apartment and the owner sends you a fraction of the security deposit claiming damage or something despite no evidence. Ive lived in maybe 10 apartments and this illegal retention of deposit has happened every single time
Varun Mayya (@waitin4agi_) November 13, 2024

Despite these protections, enforcing them remains challenging. One commenter even shared how their friend in Mumbai had to call the police to recover part of her deposit after her landlord initially refused to comply.

In contrast, a user from Mizoram provided an intriguing alternative, describing how rental culture in the north-eastern state is markedly different. "Nobody even knows what security deposits are over here. No rental agreements either, just trust," the user said.

A few commenters said they managed to reclaim their deposit only by sending legal notices, which proved effective but time-consuming. Yet for many tenants, the time, effort, and resources required to pursue legal action make it an unattractive option, and they ultimately write off part of their deposit as a sunk cost.