Bengaluru landlord seeks 33% rent hike, US woman compares with 3 to 5% rise, sparks debate

An American woman living in Bengaluru has raised concerns over sharp and unregulated rent increases in the city, stating that her landlord sought a 33 percent hike in her rent. She said refusal could lead to eviction, as other tenants were willing to pay the higher amount.

The Bengaluru-based content creator, Dana Marie, shared her experience in an Instagram video, highlighting the challenges faced by tenants amid rising rental demands.

Comparison with US rental system

Dana Marie contrasted the situation with the United States, where rent increases are often regulated. She stated that in many parts of the US, annual rent hikes are capped at around 10 percent and such limits are generally followed. She added that typical rent increases in the US range between 3 and 5 percent, which tenants already find difficult to manage.

Concerns over normalisation of high increases

She said the most concerning aspect was not the scale of the hike but how common such increases have become in Bengaluru. In her post, she noted that a 33 percent rise in rent is being treated as normal.

She also pointed out that even a 10 percent annual increase could significantly raise rents over time, questioning the long-term sustainability of such trends. She cited examples indicating that rents could multiply substantially over a decade under consistent increases.

Watch her video here

Security deposit practices questioned

Dana Marie further raised concerns about landlords demanding security deposits equivalent to four to six months of rent. She noted that a Karnataka law limits such deposits to a maximum of two months’ rent, questioning why higher amounts are still being sought.

Online reactions

This is happening only in Bangalore and the owners are demanding whatever they feel like if not you then for sure somebody else is definitely gonna pay

I’m pretty sure , they can’t legally raise rent 33% anymore ,recently there was a cap, do look into this.

We need more law students in India to get these people in the right mind

Same happened with us, landlord raised the rent by 38%, we moved out but yes someone else was ready to pay the new amount