Scouting tenants for flats, houses a challenge amid water crisis

Bengaluru: Apartment owners, especially in areas where there is no Cauvery water connection, are having a tough time finding people to occupy their vacant flats, owing to the water crisis in the city.

Following the news that many apartments in the city were running dry, over the last month, the number of queries seeking rented flats has come down significantly, real estate agents noted. “People now ask for individual houses rather than apartments since water is a basic need. Though we try to convince the customers that the situation is not as worse, they do not want to take a chance,” said Raju K who runs Shreya Real Estate agency that operates across Konanakunte cross, Thalaghattapura, and Anjanapura. 

Trying to make the best use of the situation many others are demanding that the rents be slashed by at least 10%. “In many apartment complexes, water supply has been restricted to a few hours in the morning and few hours in the evening. The clients are pointing this out and demanding that the rents be cut down owing to the inconvenience,” said Srinivas M who runs Shree estates and helps get properties rented out across JP Nagar and Kanakapura Road. 

While the situation is a little better in areas close to tech parks, realtors opined that the apartments on the Kanakapura Road were the most affected and the problems was evident in huge apartment complexes. “A few people are still open to occupy flats in smaller apartment complexes since they believe that the consumption would be low and the situation would not go out of hand. But there are many complexes which have over 1,000 flats and this is where we are finding it difficult to get tenants for,” explained Manju, a local real estate agent from Puttenahalli.

As a result, many flats in these areas have been lying vacant over the last month. 

Damage control

The situation has been blown up and is not as worse as it is being portrayed, many apartment dwellers maintained. Understanding that the water crisis was having a huge impact on real estate prices, many apartment owners’ associations are now trying to bring down the damage caused. Many associations have warned members to refrain from updating the situation on social media. “As in every other part of the city, we also have a crisis and we are managing it. But the rumors that there was no water to meet even the basic needs is false and such fake news is making it difficult for many of us to get people to rent the flats. Hence, the association is trying to warn people against spreading such fake news,” a owner from an apartment complex in Kanakapura said on conditions of anonymity. 

PGs face a tough time

The Paying Guest (PG) accommodations in the city are also having a tough time. On one hand their maintenance costs have gone up significantly since they have to rely on water tankers for water supply and on the other hand many inmates are shifting out to areas with better water supply. “We cannot demand a higher rent since it is a temporary situation and it will be difficult for the inmates since their salaries will not go up. However we are requesting them to use water cautiously and this has not gone well with a few who vacate the PGs and move out to areas with better water supply” explained Sukhi Seo secretary of the Bangalore PG owners’ association.