So, I'm supposed to be closing on my new apartment tomorrow. I should be experiencing a whole lot of emotions ranging from happiness, relief, excitement and maybe even fear (I'm scared of cockroaches!). Am I feeling these things? No, I'm not. What I'm feeling is more like fatigue and also disgust.
You see I've realised something - It is not easy getting an apartment in India. There are just way too many requirements most of which are a complete waste of time.
For example I will list of some of the requirements my Land Lord wants from me which by the way don't include the standard items like a deposit of Rs. 50000, along with two months brokerage and first month rent upfront (I'm giving a deposit and you want the first month rent upfront as well? Does this make sense!).
So the additional requirements are:
1) A letter of permanent employment from my company. I wonder what would've happened if I was self employed or if I was a rich kid with parents paying the rent?
2) Interestingly enough he also wanted a letter from my Mother or Father stating that they did not have a problem with me entering a lease agreement with him. Let's see I'm 25, supported my family for a while when I was 22 or 23 can't remember, and oh yeah lived alone in Bombay for the last year and half! Are you serious? A letter from my Mother? What is this Middle School?
3) Religion and Caste - blogged about this before, don't want to discuss it.
4) At one point, he didn't want to allow for an exit point in the lease agreement basically stating that I was stuck there for eleven months and didn't have a choice about it. Obviously, I told him in a firm manner that this was not going to happen and amazingly he relented. By the way I think this was the only thing he relented on.
So, those are a few of the additional requirements that he had. Did I mention these people are supposed to be educated? I guess in the future I'll just have to make sure I buy an apartment instead of renting one.
Like that will ever happen.
P.S. Too top it all off, not a single HCHHSSTT in the building.
5 comments:
Considering all the money you are putting down on deposit, brokerage et al, buying an apartment wouldn't be so impossible!!! Plus you could have bought it in Alibaug where you would have a beach front apartment and a one hour ferry ride to enjoy!!!
So when is the house warming party :-)
Congratulations!
Glad you found something and signed on it. I guess you'll have to wait for the next time to be officially classified as "Homeless". (which I think is quite cool)
Oh and I'm posting here because I lost my phone and this is the only other point of contact :P
Ha! A conniving landlord eh! - he didn't wanna give you an opt out option considering the fact that his building is gonna go under re development?! Shady B****** :-D
Missed another post I see! Must be the excitement of signing the lease!!! Busy celebrating hence too busy...?
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