What renting in Bengaluru really costs to move in
A flat listed at ₹31,000 is not a ₹31,000 decision. It is usually a ₹1.8 lakh decision, made on a weekend, with a deadline.
A worked example
- Rent
- ₹31,000
- Maintenance
- ₹3,000
- Deposit (5 months)
- ₹1,50,000
- Brokerage (1 month, typical)
- ₹31,000
- To hold the keys, day one
- ₹2,15,000
Utilities, painting deposits and society charges sit on top and are usually raised last.
The four numbers to ask for, every time
Rent. Maintenance. Deposit. Brokerage. Get all four before you visit. Any one of them arriving late in the conversation is a signal in itself.
The clause that costs more than the deposit
The deposit figure is negotiated openly. What is not is the deduction clause: who pays for repainting, deep cleaning and repairs, and whether notice-period rent is charged even when notice is served. That paragraph decides how much of your money comes back.
Both sides have a point
Owners genuinely lose a month of rent preparing a flat and genuinely spend ₹25,000 on paint. Renters genuinely get charged for it whether or not it was needed. Neither side is lying; there is simply no shared record of the home's condition. That is a solvable problem, and it is what we are building.
Common questions
How much deposit is normal in Bengaluru?
Six to ten months of rent is common, which is unusually high by Indian standards. On a ₹35,000 flat that is ₹2.1-3.5 lakh sitting with the owner, and it is the single biggest reason people cannot move even when they can afford the monthly rent.
Can a landlord deduct repainting from my deposit?
It depends entirely on what the agreement says, which is why the deduction clause matters more than the deposit amount. Normal wear and tear is generally not chargeable, but if your agreement commits you to repainting on exit, you have agreed to it. Read that clause before you sign, not when you leave.
What is a fair painting or cleaning charge?
Repainting a 2BHK runs around ₹25,000 and a deep clean adds roughly ₹5,000. Those are real costs an owner faces. What renters object to is being charged them regardless of the condition the flat was returned in.
How do I protect my deposit?
Photograph and video every room on the day you move in, with a visible date, and share the record with the owner so both sides hold the same copy. Most deposit disputes are memory against memory, and evidence ends them.
Should I ever pay to view a property?
No. A request for a token, a visitor pass fee or a refundable amount before you have seen the home is a known scam pattern in Bengaluru. Walk away.
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