"Harder Than UPSC": Influencer's Viral Rant On Finding A Flat In Mumbai Amuses Internet

Finding a home in Mumbai has long been considered one of the city's biggest challenges, thanks to soaring rents, cramped spaces and landlords with endless conditions. Now, content creator Yuvraj Dua has captured that struggle in a humorous Instagram video, comparing the search for a flat to clearing some of India's toughest competitive exams. In the video, Dua joked that while people prepare for exams like UPSC and JEE, nothing compares to the challenge of finding a rental home in Mumbai. He described the process as mentally exhausting, saying it pushes prospective tenants to their limits.

"It tests your patience, determination, willpower, resilience, and most importantly, capacity to compromise," he said.

Dua said that anyone unwilling to lower their expectations during the house hunt is likely to become frustrated within days. In a light-hearted remark, he joked that the experience is enough to make people abandon their big-city dreams and consider returning to their hometowns instead. 

"The real Odyssey," he captioned the video. 

Watch the video here:

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A post shared by Yuvraj Dua (@yuvraj.dua)

Budget vs location: An impossible choice

The creator also highlighted the city's steep rental prices, saying areas like Goregaon are relatively affordable compared with neighbourhoods such as Andheri and Bandra, where even tiny, basic apartments can command eye-watering rents.

"If you have the budget, you won't get a good location. If you get a good location, you won't have the budget," he said.

The 'final boss' of Mumbai rentals

Dua also poked fun at the long list of requirements imposed by some landlords, especially for unmarried tenants. He described restrictions on bachelors as the biggest hurdle in Mumbai's rental market, joking that the eligibility criteria often become so long and specific that they sound increasingly absurd.

"Bachelor, non-drinker, non-smoker, vegetarian, reptilian, Pythagorean, Mediterranean, Scandinavian, amphibian..." he jokingly remarked. 

His humorous take has resonated with many social media users, who say it perfectly reflects the realities of trying to rent a home in India's financial capital.