A Bengaluru man paid Rs 20,000 advance for an Indiranagar flat. The owner did not give him the house on the move-in date and refused to refund the money. The frustrated tenant has now reached out on Reddit for legal advice.
Reddit has become the go-to platform for people today. You can find solutions to problems, share personal experiences, and get quick help. A recent incident in Bengaluru proves exactly this.
A man living in a rented house wanted to move to a flat in Indiranagar. He paid Rs 20,000 as an advance to the owner. The owner later refused to return this money. The anxious tenant went to Reddit to ask for advice on what to do next.
No flat, no money
The victim paid the advance amount after the owner gave him a specific move-in date. He went to the flat on the agreed date, but the current tenants had not vacated. They asked for 20 more days to move out. The man could not wait that long and decided to look for another house.
He asked the owner to return his advance money, but the owner refused. Now, he will lose twenty thousand rupees if he finds another house. If he wants this same house, he has to wait 20 days. The owner completely cheated him.
What did the Reddit post say?
The man posted his ordeal on the r/bangalorerentals subreddit. He asked for help and legal advice. Many people who faced similar rental issues replied to his post with useful tips.
Be careful before renting on NoBroker!
The tenant found this spacious flat directly listed by the owner on the 'NoBroker' platform. The owner initially said the house was empty and gave a move-in date. But things changed when the tenant actually arrived.
Before handing over the rental agreement, the owner demanded the full security deposit. The tenant negotiated and paid Rs 20,000, which equals one month's rent. He agreed to pay the rest after moving in. But the old tenants were still living there. The owner casually informed him that the current tenants faced a last-minute issue and would stay for 20 more days.
The owner could have shared this information earlier. He hid this fact during the initial talks. The tenant told the owner that he did not care about the old tenant's delay because he was also in trouble.
He gave the owner two options: either give the house right now or refund the advance money so he could find another place. The owner straight up refused to give the money back.
What did Reddit users suggest?
The tenant wanted to take legal action. But he feared the owner would call the money a non-refundable token. They only had a verbal agreement and had not signed any written document. The tenant was clueless about his next steps. He also worried about spending extra money on a temporary stay while hunting for a new house. Reddit users jumped in to share their suggestions.
One user advised him to get help from a local volunteer group. They told him to post on the 'St Broseph' subreddit for immediate support.
Another person suggested staying in a Paying Guest (PG) accommodation for a month. They also told him to ask the owner to pay for the extra expenses caused by the delay.
Another user got frustrated with the city's rental culture and commented, "Oh, this city and its greed!"
A user who claimed to be a lawyer shared a solid plan. The lawyer told the tenant to create a written record of asking for the refund. He advised sending a WhatsApp message with all the facts and asking for the security deposit back.
If the owner ignores or refuses, this chat will work as evidence. After this, the tenant can send a legal notice through a lawyer, which might cost around Rs 5,000.
