Beware Young Couples Planning to Live In High-Rise Societies: “Old People On Power Trips”, Says Techie
Beware Young Couples Planning to Live In High-Rise Societies: “Old People On Power Trips”, Says Techie
An engineer’s viral post about controlling RWAs in gated communities has triggered a major online debate, with many young residents sharing similar experiences while others defended strict society rules for maintaining order and security.
A software engineer’s viral social media post has sparked a heated discussion online after he advised young couples and bachelors to avoid living in large gated housing societies. Shravan Venkataraman, who shared his views in a detailed thread on X, claimed that life inside many high-rise apartment complexes becomes frustrating because of overly controlling Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs), often dominated by elderly members.
According to Venkataraman, younger residents are usually better off staying in smaller residential buildings with fewer apartments, where restrictions are less intrusive and the overall environment feels more relaxed. He argued that in many large societies, younger residents are constantly monitored or lectured about how they should live.
“Any slight inconvenience to their worldview being caused by anyone or any family in the society, they start imposing their views on how one should live in a home they are renting/owning in that society – who can come for a visit, who can’t, who can complain, who can’t, etc. And these old people who are also in charge of power – in RWA or society associations go on a power trip whenever anyone challenges them for an actual issue,” he wrote.
The debate intensified after he narrated an incident from his housing society in Hyderabad. Venkataraman said a theft had taken place at his home and when he requested CCTV footage in the residents’ WhatsApp group, he was informed that the cameras were not functioning.
If you're a bachelor/young couple with kids, as much as possible avoid high rises and opt for G+3 G+4 type places with < 25 units houses.
— Shravan Venkataraman (@theBuoyantMan) May 25, 2026
The old people in high rises (who also happen to be part of RWAs) are becoming mentally deranged and pretty insane at this point.
Concerned over security issues, he suggested that residents should install personal security cameras for their own safety. However, instead of addressing the security concern, he alleged that senior RWA members called him to the clubhouse the following day and criticised him for discussing the issue publicly.
“Next day the president and vice president of rwa called me to the clubhouse. I went there thinking they were going to resolve my issue and they found who stole the items. Instead they call me and start shouting at me as to how i can post such complaints on the residents group and how i can post that there’s no security here and that one should look out for themselves – that I was ruining morale in the society,” he wrote.
He further claimed that one committee member dismissed his complaint sarcastically, suggesting that the RWA could not investigate every missing household item. Frustrated by the confrontation, he said he later left the residents’ WhatsApp group.
“I mean what do these old men even think in their head? That they can order everyone around with arbitrary rules according to their convenience and everyone should follow it, and especially tenants?” he added.
The viral thread resonated with many younger residents online, who shared similar complaints about moral policing, excessive monitoring, restrictions on visitors and profiling of bachelors in gated communities. Several users said they often feel treated like outsiders despite paying heavy maintenance charges.
At the same time, many social media users defended RWAs, arguing that certain rules are necessary to maintain safety, hygiene and discipline in densely populated apartment complexes. Some residents pointed out that complaints related to noise, waste disposal and late-night disturbances often force committees to impose stricter regulations.
The debate has once again highlighted the growing friction between younger residents seeking personal freedom and housing societies trying to enforce community rules in modern urban living spaces.
