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Living as a PG in Mumbai can be quite an experience

Mumbai is India’s city of dreams. It is the focal point for those, across the nation, looking to make it big in the entertainment industry or those who simply want to study in the numerous ‘brand’ colleges that dot the city.

But for women who leave their homes to live and study in the Maximum City, finding a place to stay is one hurdle that can be insurmountable

Rental laws in the city can be extremely idiosyncratic, which means that many girls have to opt for a Paying Guest (PG) accommodation — which means renting a room in a flat already occupied by the landlord or other PGs.

Looking for PG accommodation begins by contacting a broker. This becomes simpler once you decide on the area you wish to stay in. For many girls the area depends on proximity to their work or college, and their financial situation.

“When I was hunting for a PG, I kept proximity to college in mind, as well distance from the nearest railway station or bus stop,” says Ujwala Naidu from Ahmedabad, who has been living in Mumbai for the last four years.  

“I think the best way to find out about PG accommodation is to talk to your friends who have stayed or are staying as a PG. I did the same, and I moved into my friend’s room once she finished her studies and left,” says Tanya Robert.

There have, however, been people who have not been so lucky. Ayesha Huda came from Hyderabad to Mumbai a year ago. She defines the whole process of finding PG accommodation as “not being fun at all”.  She faced a lot of problems due to the fact that she was a Muslim: “The broker used to hang up on me, or say ‘no’ straight away, after they heard my name.” Even the fact that she was a non-vegetarian worked against her. 

Most girls are looking for a non-interfering landlord. “We should have privacy and not be answerable to anyone,” says Aanchal Sinha, who is staying at Walkeshwar with two other girls. Most girls prefer a PG accommodation that has no deadlines, and if there are any, they should be flexible.

But it’s not only the girls who find the process tedious; landlords do too.

“I interviewed a lot of college girls,” says Mrs Sharma (name changed). She rents rooms to students at her Pedder Road apartment. She adds: “It is not easy having young girls living in your house. There is a lot of responsibility, but I am responsible only as long as the girls are inside the house. What they do outside is not my concern.”

Mrs Sharma only rents out her room to students and not to working girls. The reason being that working girls do not have fixed timings and she doesn’t want to stay up late waiting for them. She has her own rules stating that no girl can come in later than 10pm, and no male members except parents or a local guardian is allowed into the house.

Sheila (name changed) has a 2bhk apartment in Bandra.  She rents out the bedroom to to three girls and the living room to six girls. “Being a teacher I don’t earn much and maintenance of the house is really high. So I decided to have PGs,” says Sheila. 

In her house there are no deadlines and each girl has been given a key to the flat. There is also no restriction on the number, or gender, of visitors.

As the number of young people entering the city increases, and rental prices rise, the demand for PG accommodation will steadily increase. That does not mean that finding one will get any easier — for the PGs or landlords — but it may give rise to a more new urban dynamic, where living with people you don’t know becomes a stepping-stone to social success.
h_namita@dnaindia.net