Bengaluru Landlord Asks For 1 Month's Rent Just To Show Property: "Is This Some Scam?"

Navigating the rental market can be a nightmare, especially when landlords throw in unexpected demands. A Bengaluru landlord has taken it to an extreme, asking for a month's rent as advance payment before even showing the apartment. A young professional shared this bizarre experience on Reddit, where he encountered not just a strict landlord but also a persistent security guard who wouldn't let them in without paying up.

According to the Reddit post, the incident happened about two months ago. While walking around a high-rise building, the young professional asked a security guard if any flats were vacant. The guard confirmed that a unit was available and shared the owner's phone number.

After calling the owner, the professional was told that the security guard would show the flat. There was no mention of any fee, deposit, or special charge during the conversation. Everything sounded normal at first.  When the professional returned to the guard expecting to be taken upstairs, an unexpected demand was made. One month's rent was asked for before the apartment could be shown.

"I honestly didn't even know how to react. This wasn't brokerage or anything official. Just money to open the door and show the place. I obviously walked away, but I keep thinking about it. Is this some common scam or has anyone else faced this while house hunting in Bangalore?," he wrote. 

See the post here:

Got asked one month's rent just to view a flat
byu/Silent-Character-907 inGatedCommunitiesIndia

The post quickly drew strong reactions from Reddit users, many of whom said the demand was unacceptable. Reddit users  criticised the landlord's approach, calling it a red flag and advising the young professional to avoid dealing with such landlords. Some even suggested reporting the incident to the authorities, citing that such demands are likely illegal.

One user wrote, "The problem is there are too many dumb people in Bangalore and few would have ended up paying something. Due to easy money some just don't care."

Another commented, "I guess this is a scam. The Security guard would have given his friends number instead of the owner."

A third said, "I know how the scam happens, and this isn't it, this is a nexus between landlord and security to screen potential tenants, and a very weird way to say "I dont want to rent my flat to you", or you misunderstood the security guy saying he wanted 1 months rent as brokerage if u move in, then only he will show you the place now, and im pretty sure it was one of the two.

Btw rental scams before taking a place doesn't happen by the real landlords of the property, but its online postings in garb of property managers."