A Reddit user shared how his sister, a college student in Gujarat, faced housing discrimination in Gandhinagar. She rented a 3BHK flat with two friends, paid a broker and moved her things.
The broker assured them there would be no issue renting as unmarried girls. But, before they could sign the rent agreement, a neighbour complained to the builder. The man demanded that the flat should not be rented to “single girls”.
Although the landlord had no problem, the builder refused to let them stay. When the girl tried to speak to the neighbour and explain, he rudely disconnected the call and blocked her. Now, they must bear extra moving costs and search for a new place just before college starts.
“This is not just disappointing, it’s discriminatory,” the Redditor posted. “Why should young adults, be it students or working, be denied a place to live after everything is finalised just because of outdated societal biases?”
Several Reddit users shared their experiences with housing discrimination, especially targeting bachelors and single tenants in India.
“And then Gujaratis say, ‘We are the most inclusive’,” came a sarcastic remark.
The original poster clarified, “One of the reasons was also because they are not Gujrati. Also a few of my friends who were Gujrati but not Patel also told me how Patels dominate the scene. Like if you’re Patel then its like bhai bhai. Otherwise, you will be discriminated against.”
One user from Patna was almost evicted by his landlord because his girlfriend visited, which was deemed “inappropriate”. Others echoed this frustration, questioning why landlords impose such outdated moral standards on paying tenants.
Moral policing
Some users have pointed out that inviting friends or partners should be normal when one is renting legally. One comment compared being a bachelor in India to being a second-class citizen.
“In India, people worry more about what is happening in their neighbour’s house. They don’t spare families how will they spare bachelors,” wrote one user while blaming “moral policing”.
According to another user, Muslims also face severe bias, mentioning even actor Saif Ali Khan being denied property.
However, one user countered, “Muslims still get apartments in muslim locality. Bachelors are not gonna get in neither Hindu or muslim area.”