Is renting in Hyderabad ‘high risk’ for single working women? Tenant alleges slur after asking for deposit refund

A Reddit post by a Hyderabad-based woman has gone viral after she alleged that her landlord refused to return her security deposit and insulted her with derogatory remarks when she tried to raise the issue.

The woman, who claimed to have rented a 2BHK flat in the upscale MyHome Mangala gated community in Gachibowli for ₹55,000 per month, said she had lived there for over a year before vacating. According to her, despite leaving the flat without any damages or pending bills, the landlord refused to return her deposit.

“When I argued, he literally called me a hooker. Yes, for daring to ask for MY OWN money back,” she wrote in her post, expressing frustration over what she described as routine harassment faced by single women tenants in Hyderabad’s so-called “premium” apartments.

“Single women judged the moment they show up alone”

The post highlighted several issues single women encounter while renting in gated communities:

• Being judged during house tours and repeatedly asked whether their parents would be staying with them.
• Facing intrusive questions and surveillance if male friends visit.
• Being labelled “disrespectful” or “characterless” when they assert themselves.
• The woman also alleged that landlords and societies often treat working professional women as “high risk” tenants while readily renting to groups of bachelors.

“We hesitate to fight legally because it’s exhausting”

The Redditor said many single women avoid legal battles due to the stigma and time-consuming nature of such disputes. “They bully, withhold deposits, and gaslight us into silence,” she wrote, urging women to protect themselves by documenting everything, taking photos before moving in, and keeping written agreements.

“Paying ₹55,000/month doesn’t buy you respect here, it only funds someone’s ego trip,” she added.

Calls For Safer, Respectful Renting

The post has triggered discussions online about the challenges faced by women tenants in metropolitan cities, where reports of withheld deposits and gender bias in housing are common.

Many users echoed similar experiences and called for stronger tenant protection laws, as well as stricter action against landlords who engage in harassment or discriminatory practices.

A user wrote, “If you signed an agreement, you should file a case, you can sue for damages as well, in addition to the deposit amount.”

Another user wrote, “Keeping the deposit aside, why would you be ok with someone calling you a hooker, please teach him a lesson and leave, so that he doesn’t have the guts to say it to someone else.”

“Sorry to hear about your experience. Do we seriously lack rental property management companies in Hyderabad? I feel like it’s time we stop maintaining direct relationships with landlords and go via rental property management agencies. I’m looking to move back from US and rent for a while to test waters and dealing with landlords is one of the pain points that is on the top,” the third user commented.