Rent a PG without paying a month's rent to a broker
Brokerage is the most expensive introduction in Indian renting. Here is what you are buying, and how to skip it.
What brokerage buys
In theory, access and negotiation. In practice, mostly access — a phone number and a meeting. For a PG, where the owner usually lives in the building, there is no complex negotiation to justify a month's rent.
How to verify an owner directly
- Ask for the electricity bill or property tax receipt with the address on it.
- Meet at the property, not at a cafe or a shop.
- Confirm that the person you are paying is the person named on the bill.
- Pay the deposit by bank transfer, never cash, so there is a record.
Red flags
A token amount to "hold" a room you have not seen. A refusal to show the room before payment. A rent that drops when you say you will walk away. A deposit receipt with no address. Any of these ends the conversation.
What we charge
Tenants pay nothing. Owners pay a flat listing fee. We do not take a percentage of rent, because a percentage creates an incentive to push you into the costliest room available.
Questions people ask
Is a zero-brokerage PG listing reliable?
The absence of a fee removes one incentive to mislead, not all of them. Always visit, always verify the owner, and always pay by transfer.
Can I negotiate rent directly?
Yes, and you should. Longer stays and immediate move-in are the two things owners value most.