‘Kidney for sale’: This Bengaluru poster is shocking - until you read the fine print

Left kidney on sale, reads a poster spotted in Bengaluru (Image credit: ramyakh/Twitter)

Finding a house to rent in Bengaluru is becoming increasingly difficult, if the posts on social media are anything to go by. Every day, platforms like Twitter are flooded with pleas for a good apartment or a broker in the Silicon Valley of India. The surge in rent prices, coupled with exacting demands from landlords, has made it very tough for young professionals to find good accommodation in Bengaluru – but in the face of such difficulties, some are getting creative in their quest for rental apartments.

Take, for example, the person who put up posters advertising his “left kidney on sale”.

“Left kidney on sale. Need money to fund the security deposit amount landlords are asking for,” the poster read. Pictures of the poster have been shared widely on Twitter and LinkedIn, but the ad is shocking only until one reads the fine print that follows it.

“Just kidding,” the advertiser clarifies. “But I still need a house in Indiranagar. Scan for profile.” This is followed by a QR code.

Does this qualify for @peakbengaluru? pic.twitter.com/GGuMZXy2iH

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— Ramyakh (@ramyakh) February 25, 2023

Many on Twitter called it an example of a ‘Peak Bengaluru’ moment – a phrase that has become the internet’s shorthand for things that could happen only in Bengaluru.

Rent in Bengaluru is soaring as more and more companies call their employees back to office after two years of pandemic. In some cases, landlords have increased rent by as much as 45 to 50% - giving their tenants the option to vacate if they can’t afford to keep up.

Along with increased rent, the security deposit has also increased. Some tenants told Moneycontrol the deposit can be anywhere between Rs 60,000 to more than Rs 1 lakh.

Sunil Singh, a realtor at Realty Corp said in Bengaluru apartment owners have always charged 10 months' rent as a deposit amount for a long time. "However, it depends on the rentals, and today we are seeing a 30 percent increase in rents," he added.