Congratulations on your big move to Delhi! You’re here in the capital city with starry eyes and big dreams, hoping to start your college journey or new job on a high note. But first you have a hurdle to cross. You need to find a great place to live in this city and you’re not sure where to start. Should you look for a 1BHK in Delhi for rent online or contact some brokers? What about the location of the flat and the budget? And what are some red flags you should watch out for during your search? If those are some of the questions on your mind, you’re in the right place. Because we’ve got the answers that you’re looking for. Check out our step-by-step guide to finding the rental flat of your dreams in Delhi.
Research- for the Rental Flat
Any good plan starts with research. And this is a really good plan. If you want to find the best place to live in Delhi, you need to know as much as possible about the city. Give your research some direction by starting off with some residential areas around your workplace or college campus. You’ll get to see a bunch of different accommodation options at different price points as this will give you an idea about the cost of living in the city and what to expect from your future home. If you have friends, relatives, or other contacts in the city, you could also reach out to them for some insider inputs and advice about where you should live.
Decide your budget
Once you have an approximate idea about how much things cost in Delhi, it’s time to figure out how much you can realistically spend. Your budget and the place you can afford within it will depend on a number of factors – if you want to live alone or with flatmates, if you want to live in a standalone building or a gated complex, if you want other amenities included with your flat or not, etc. Keep other living costs like electricity, food and gas in mind when you’re budgeting for your rent as you’ll have to pay for these every month as well. A good rule of thumb is to allocate about a third of your monthly income or allowance towards your living expenses so you can determine your budget accordingly.
Shortlist
Possibly the most important step towards finding the rental flat of your dreams, shortlisting some of your top options is going to take a bit of time and effort. You’re going to have to go over a lot of listings on different platforms and compare them with each other. Use sites like NoBroker or MagicBricks for general listings or visit the websites of managed accommodation providers like Stanza Living that will outline a number of different accommodations that could suit your needs. To make your job easier you can also filter according to the amenities or facilities that you are looking for from your accommodation. Use a notebook or an excel sheet to compare the listings in terms of price, quality, and date of availability so that you can easily shortlist your top five.
Check them out
Before you finalise a 1BHK apartment for rent in Delhi, you need to visit a few apartments that you’ve shortlisted and check them out in person. Doing a site visit will help you get more clarity on what a flat is really like, the building and the neighbourhood, the amount of sunlight and ventilation it receives and the noise levels in the area. You’ll also get a chance to meet your prospective landlord and negotiate the rent and any other issues with them so that you have a list of pros and cons ready to help you make your choice. Don’t be afraid to take notes or photographs to help you remember the details when you’re doing a site visit.
Sign the lease
The last step you need to take care of before you move in is ensuring that you get a written lease agreement from your landlord. If you don’t have a lease or if your landlord insists on an oral contract, it’s a definite red flag and you should get yourself out of there. Make sure that you have a proper rent agreement for the flat that you choose. You’ll need this as an address proof in your new city and it’ll also give you a documented set of guidelines for you to follow and your landlord to deliver. Go over the lease in detail before you sign it so that you’re clear on all the terms and conditions.
Finding the rental flat of your dreams in Delhi is pretty easy using our handy guide. So, go ahead and get started.
