New to Mumbai & trying to find a decent place to rent? Prevent it from turning into a nightmare

I recently moved to Mumbai. Two months on and I am still learning the ways of the city, still adapting to it, still trying to make sense of it. Moving to a new place has always been challenging - whether it was the small town of Saratoga Springs or the mighty London. All I can say is that, each place is its own beast!

In case you or someone you know is moving to Mumbai for a job* here are some tips that might be helpful:

• If you arrive in Mumbai before you have the official job agreement in hand, then it is always better to stay at a hotel (or if possible at a 'close' relatives place whom you trust with your life and valuables). In my case I had the divine luxury of staying at an uncle's place. It reduced my transition costs (Hotel, Food, Transport etc) but more importantly there was a local person to teach me the Mumbai way-of-life.



• Do start looking for a place to live AS SOON AS YOU CAN. It is not that there is a scarcity of flats available for rent. However, finding one that is within your budget and meets your personal needs (furnished vs unfurnished, availability of hot/cold water etc) can be, for the most part, very challenging.



• Choose a location based on YOUR preferences - take advice from relatives (if any) and co-workers, but above all make sure YOU are content with the decision of location. I for one am not content with living in Borivali. I chose to be closer to my uncle so that he could show me around Mumbai. I ended up in Borivali which is the second last suburb of Greater Mumbai. I would have liked to stay somewhere closer to work or South of work. This is because I commute to work via train. If I were to live south of work, the commute would be in reverse so trains are less likely to be crowded. Right now I am part of the super mad rush that is the daily Mumbai commute - overcrowded train compartments where sweat, sneeze and cough pours on me in all directions. The best advice I can give you is to scope out areas in Mumbai closer to work and see if you can find a place within your means before settling for any other option.



• To go looking for a flat, my advice would be to get hold of a Real Estate Agent (broker) via someone at work or someone you know. In my case it was my uncle who took me to the broker - a friend of his. If this is not an option, definitely try to find a broker through someone at work. It is better to go to a broker with a reference than without one.



• When the broker starts showing you places which is usually the very same day you go to him/her, make sure you ask ALL the questions you need to ask (and there are no wrong questions here). Ask the broker about water supply in bathroom, toilets and kitchen. Check if the fans/ACs work or not. Check the lights as well. Check everything!



• Once you find the pad of your choice, get ready for Paperwork Mayhem. At times it could be less of a mayhem if your broker takes pity on you and gets it done. One needs to do Stamp Duty Registration and Police Clearance before actually getting the keys to the apartment. It is better to do this and avoid 'shady' landlords who do not require such procedures. The purpose of all this legal work is mainly to show that you are not a terrorist and have a clean record. My ony advice would be, do not pay the broker before he has done all this and arranges for you to get the keys. (Note: Brokers usually demand 2 months rent as their fees. It is a downright criminal practice but that is how the market in Mumbai is.)



• Talking about payments, the security deposits demanded by landlords in Mumbai is simple and pure extorional. For a fully furnished 1 bedroom apartment in the trendy Bandra Suburb, one needs to deposit at least Rs. 1 lakh (usually twice or even thrice this amount). To me this is completely absurd. I have lived and paid rent+deposit in US, UK and Nepal. Never have I been asked to deposit a sum more than 1 month's rent as security deposit. I guess landlords in Mumbai simply don't trust any potential tenants.
  



• Having said that, there is one real estate agent/firm I have found in Mumbai so far who actually takes 1 month's rent as deposit. Going by the name of Supergrowth they specialize in premium accomodation in the SoBo area. I am definitely going to make use of their service once I finish my contract period in Borivali.

Finding a decent flat in Mumbai is not difficult, but I do wish it was a simpler process where I could access a listing of flats by owners and brokers, meet them, check out the place, take my time and make a decision. Online listings on craigslist, sulekha, magicbricks, makaan, quikr, rentimental, 99acres etc. are not exhastive or up-to-date. (That is why I did not bother to link any of those). However, the websites are useful to look up prices for various flats in different locations and get an idea of the costs. Word on the street is that prices in the Northern suburbs will be crashing pretty soon. I hope the rent comes down as well so that I can afford the usual 20-something's dream pad - something nice in a nice location (read: malls, bars and clubs in close proximity).

* If you are moving to Mumbai without a job but as a student then your college should take care of your accomodation. If you are moving with dreams of Bollywood, then good luck. You will find millions more just like you.