When moving to New Delhi as an expat finding a place to stay is usually not an easy task. Here are some brief tips on how to avoid as many unpleasant and time consuming experiences as possible.

Generally, the nicest areas for living are mainly in South Delhi. Places with things going on and with relative convenience can include Vasant Vihar, GK 1, GK 2, Saket, Nehru Place, and Defense Colony. There are also farm houses in Vasant Kunj which are often occupied by expats. These areas are where most expatriates are living in New Delhi.

The following tips primarily cover rental housing:

• It takes effort to get the real estate agents to contact you again or give you precise information after talking to them. This is often unavoidable, so just contact them again and see if they are serious.

• You will most likely need to go through several agents in order to have enough flats to look at, as most agents only have a few to show in the area you are interested in. Try to make several appointments in a day if you are searching in the weekend.

• Ask for the agents fee for finding a flat when you talk to him the first time. Often they ask for one months rent as a fee, start bargaining over the phone and most of them will either go between two weeks or three weeks of a months fee. Several of these agents also receive money from the flat owner for their services.

• Try finding a semi furnished flat, fully furnished flats are often more expensive and with old furniture. It will also help you avoid too much furniture shopping.

• Make sure you talk to the landlord directly about problems in the flat before moving in. Getting many basic things fixed can become a long and patience testing experience. It would obviously be best to find a flat without significant problems.

• Living close to a market makes things easier.

• Utilities such as water and electricity are usually not included in the rent.

• Negotiate the security deposit. Sometimes owners want many months ahead of time.

• You will need two passport photos for registration at the police. Sometimes the landlord takes care of this.

• Internet installation can be another time consuming task, be prepared for this.

• To avoid the real estate agent, look through the classified sections on Saturdays and Sundays of the Hindustan Times or The Times of India – there are many agents in there as well though.
  
• Read through your lease contract!
  
• Some apartment owners prefer company lease rental, which means that the rent is paid through ones company.

Flatsharing:

 If you are looking for flat-mates or a room to move into, place a comment here. One tactic for flatsharing is to find others who are also looking for a place to stay and find an apartment together, this can be more difficult but sometimes it may be the only option if you want to live with other young expats.

Go to       List of the agents in Delhi

Owner Peter Crawfurd – Email