1 lakh rent in Bengaluru?: Techie’s house hunt sparks online outrage

A Bengaluru tech professional has sparked a major discussion online after revealing how difficult it has become to find an affordable rental home in the city. Sahil Khan, a product designer at a startup, took to X to vent about the steep prices he encountered during his house-hunting search.


Khan shared that he checked eight properties in a single day and was stunned by the sky-high quotations. Posting about the experience, he wrote, “Landlords are asking for 1L rent in Cooke Town for a 3bhk. Have people lost their minds?”


His post immediately went viral, drawing responses from people in Bengaluru and beyond who related to the struggle.

One user said, “Come to Mumbai Bro, 1 Lac mein acha 2 BHK mil jayega. And 30% of the deposit amount too.” Another joked that the rental market is practically pushing people toward homeownership: “They are motivating you buy your own house.” Others compared Bengaluru to Delhi NCR, saying rents and deposits there are far more reasonable.

Cooke Town Prices Leave Even Locals Surprised
Cooke Town—an upscale neighbourhood in Bengaluru’s old Cantonment area—is known for its high rental rates. Yet Khan said the quotes he received were far beyond what he expected. According to HT.com, Khan is planning to get married and hopes to shift homes in January. Currently, he stays in Koramangala, paying ₹50,000 for a 2BHK.

However, the properties he viewed in Cooke Town ranged between ₹75,000 and ₹80,000. One 3BHK listed for ₹65,000 seemed like a bargain until he discovered it was located right beside a railway track. Meanwhile, the flat priced at ₹1 lakh was only semi-furnished, lacked a gated community setup, offered no amenities, and didn’t include maintenance charges.

Explaining the trend, Khan said the demand is fuelled by the city’s strong tech workforce. “There are a lot of IT people (in Bengaluru). So there is money. They (landlords) want some of that (money),” he said.

Khan, who moved from Pune in 2021, believes that Bengaluru’s housing crisis will continue unless the city increases its floor space index (FSI), allowing more vertical residential development to meet rising demand.