Tenant turns to Landlord’s Superiors; Recovers ₹2.6 Lakh Deposit From Landlord, Story Viral
Tenant turns to Landlord’s Superiors; Recovers ₹2.6 Lakh Deposit From Landlord, Story Viral
Tenant turns to landlord’s superiors after repeated deductions and delays
A Bengaluru tenant has gone viral on social media after managing to recover his entire ₹2.6 lakh security deposit following a prolonged dispute with his landlord, as reported by NDTV, based on a now deleted Reddit post.
The tenant, who shared his experience on Reddit’s r/LegalAdviceIndia forum, said he had rented a 3.5 BHK flat in a prime locality during the COVID-19 pandemic for ₹55,000 a month. As offices reopened, the landlord increased the rent to ₹78,000—a steep hike, but one the tenant said was “understandable” since other landlords in the society had done the same. Choosing to vacate, he gave a 45-day notice as per the rental agreement.
Trouble began when the landlord started citing large deductions just before the move-out date. Initially, the deductions included ₹40,000 for painting and ₹7,000 for bathroom cleaning, with additional amounts to be decided after further checks. Days before the handover, another ₹38,000 was demanded for “wear and tear.”
“At this point, I was sure he didn’t want to return the security deposit but was building a document trail to fight a case if needed,” the tenant wrote. Even after 40 days of vacating, no refund came through.
Frustrated, the tenant dug into the landlord’s background and discovered his past as a military officer. He then escalated the matter to higher authorities, alleging that the ex-officer was misusing his position. The move paid off—within days, the landlord returned the entire deposit without any deductions.
The incident has since gone viral, sparking discussions about tenant rights and the common struggles of recovering deposits in Bengaluru’s rental market.
