Delhi University students struggle with high rents, rental scams as session begins
Students arriving at Delhi University are facing a difficult housing market characterized by high rents, exploitative brokerage, and discriminatory practices. Many students report struggling to find affordable, safe accommodation near campus.
Why it matters
It highlights the systemic challenges of urban housing and the vulnerability of students in major educational hubs.
As thousands of students arrive in the Capital for the new academic session at the University of Delhi, the excitement of beginning university life is quickly giving way to an exhausting search for accommodation in a rental market marked by soaring rents, exploitative brokerage practices, withheld security deposits, and a chronic shortage of affordable housing.
Students across neighbourhoods surrounding the university told The Hindu that securing even modest accommodation has become difficult, often consuming their first week in the city, straining family finances, and leaving many vulnerable in an unfamiliar environment.
For 18-year-old Ahmed, who moved from Kargil in Ladakh, the search for accommodation began with sticker shock. “The PGs near the college were asking ₹20,000 to ₹22,000 a month for single rooms without basic facilities,” he said.
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