Tamil Nadu is often celebrated as one of the safest states in India, with a history of progressive policies. But when it comes to finding housing for single women, things are less rosy. The state is known for its women-friendly initiatives, but many women face intense scrutiny when trying to rent a home here. Taking a house on rent often involves questions related to women’s work, caste, food habits. This leads to a lot of bias, surveillance and unnecessary restrictions, making the search for homes a constant challenge.
Riya*, 23, from Indore, who has been living in Chennai for the last eight months, is moving into her third apartment in Alwarpet. His early experience was marred by unwanted attention from landlords.
“The landlord of the first apartment tried to make sexual advances towards me and my flatmate under the guise of offering a friendly dinner. “Now I am forced to buy this house, even though it is so expensive,” she says.
22-year-old Zoya* from Kanniyakumari also had to compromise on her privacy while living on rent in Tambaram. Her flatmate’s brother was having an affair with the house’s owner, and as a result, they faced surveillance. “My landlord spied on us and told my flatmate’s brother about every little thing,” she says.
work profile is valuable
In contrast, 23-year-old Ankita* from Indore got a place in Nungambakkam because of her prestigious work profile. “We were asked for our offer letters as proof of our credentials. Our professional background helped us secure the apartment,” she says. However, such benefits do not guarantee a smooth accommodation experience for all. S Priya*, a private school teacher from Salem, explains the hurdles she faced while looking for a home. “The first question from the landlord was about my caste. If they were satisfied with my caste, other questions would arise. To ensure that rent is paid on time, they prefer a workplace with a good reputation. In some houses, I had to show my salary slip or bank statement as proof of financial stability,” she says.
The situation may be even more challenging for women working in creative fields. Niranjana Nethiyar, 26, a part-time media professional and medical student from Coimbatore, says homeowners often have negative stereotypes about their area. “Landlords are uncomfortable renting to media professionals. They make assumptions about the lifestyle of the people of my area, which is not fair. You can’t generalize based on stereotypes,” she says.
Similarly, Soujanya Balaji, a 24-year-old junior fashion designer from Bengaluru, faced discrimination when landlords rejected her because of her night shifts. She adds, “Homeowners don’t have the right to question or make assumptions about how I run my professional life.” But this issue isn’t just relevant to unmarried young professionals.
The door is closed for single mothers
Rani Gopalakrishnan, a small business owner in Tiruchi, found it difficult to rent a space after the death of her husband five years ago. “When the landlords found out that I was a single mother and a businesswoman, they refused to let us see the house,” she said. “One senior couple even turned us down and told us they thought we were ‘incomplete’ without a man to help in case of an emergency.”
Women who do not speak Tamil or belong to a specific caste often face additional barriers. Many landlords prefer to rent to people from Tamil Nadu or at least to people who speak the language. Sweta Gupta, a 25-year-old media professional from Kolkata, struggled to find housing because of her language. “The roots of prejudice run deep. Some landlords refused to even talk to me because I did not speak Tamil,” she says.
Many female professionals in Tiruchi say the threat of prying Toms is quite common. “I was shocked to see a stranger spying on me while I was taking a bath, but I did not confront him because I was afraid for my safety,” says a teacher, requesting anonymity.
K., a part-time teacher in Coimbatore and a native of Dharmapuri. Amarthiya, who is from a Scheduled Caste, says, “Initially, the housekeeper was kind, unaware of my caste. But when I came to know that I belong to Scheduled Caste, my perspective changed. The result was repeated inspections. Uncomfortable with the discrimination, I decided to leave.”
For others, like Roshini Begum Farah, a 29-year-old Muslim transwoman, religious discrimination adds another layer of rejection. “The landlords clearly told me that they could not rent to me because our religions did not match,” says Roshini. This direct discrimination is another harsh reality that many women, especially minorities, face in the housing market. Women of the communities have to face.
Gay individuals often face more serious forms of discrimination. 23-year-old Luna Vishwa, a transwoman, was rejected by landlords simply because she was open about her gender identity. Similarly, Zoya, who likes to dress androgynously, faced rejection and stereotyping based on her appearance.
Kavya, 25, an information technology professional from Coimbatore, kept her queer identity a secret from her housemate until the day she and her friends were preparing for the pride march. “I had worn similar clothes before without any problems; But when we came out with placards that day, the society association created a ruckus,” he said. The situation worsened when the association head informed his boss about the march. Kavya was asked to vacate the house within a week.
meaningless curb
In addition to these clearly discriminatory practices, women often face bizarre and unnecessary restrictions, even when they are able to secure rental housing. Common rules include restrictions on pets, food preferences (such as no non-vegetarian food) and even restrictions on having friends of any gender.
These restrictions often stem from a desire to control women’s behavior, treating them as individuals who cannot be trusted to decide how they live. “Why should women be controlled this way while families living in one place enjoy complete freedom,” asks Rhea. This double standard highlights the gender-based bias prevalent in the housing market.
Rhea and Kavya say that they both faced strict no-pet policies by their homeowners, which limited their ability to create a comfortable and enjoyable living space.
For many women, finding a home involves compromising on distance as well as rent. For example, Kavya takes more than 40 minutes to travel from Perungalathur to Ekkattuthangal. Zoya, on the other hand, travels for over an hour from Tambaram to her college near Marina. Living in a flood-prone area, Swetha has compromised on rent and location for the peace of mind that comes from avoiding the daily hassles of dealing with homeowners.
paying guest problem
Paying guest accommodation poses its own challenges for women. They are often overcrowded, offer little privacy, and have strict rules for visitors and timing. Many women report unhealthy conditions and restrictions that make them feel uncomfortable. Single rooms in paying guest accommodation are often prohibitively expensive, and unisex accommodation, while more generous at times, is predominantly occupied by men, and women do not feel safe. While social media has made it easier to connect with potential landlords, it has also opened the door to harassment and exploitation.
“I met a woman on Facebook who was looking for a flatmate in a 3BHK,” says Shweta. When I visited, a middle-aged man, never mentioned before, took charge. He asked pointed questions about my friends and family. When I inquired about a locked room, the woman admitted that it belonged to a man, despite her initial claim that it was a women-only flat.
for safety
Homeowners justify their investigations by citing safety as the primary reason for their intervention, often seeing the women as a responsibility they are unwilling to take on.
T. Santhanam, a landlord in Tiruchi, says, “I told them (women) to stay at home at least till 9 pm, but sometimes they come later. I have to take extra care of the female tenants.” Another landlord who manages 50 houses in Coimbatore says, “A tenant let her lover stay in the house without permission. It turned into a police case and she suddenly left. These incidents leave us in doubt. Now, I allow women entry only in houses equipped with CCTV.”
A house-broker in Chennai says men are easier to deal with, even with physical force. “With women, if we say anything, they will file a complaint. People are scared,” he says. However, he noted that in his experience, he has never faced a case of fake harassment.
Since renting out houses is a source of income, a landlord in Chennai’s KK Nagar says charging a hefty deposit is meant to ensure that the tenant does not damage home appliances and leave the house suddenly.
Agreeing that generalization and stereotyping are wrong, a landlord in Saligramam, Chennai, says, “However, it is not wrong to keep an eye on who is coming and going. You may know your friend well, but he is still a stranger to us. Maintaining a register is more of a preventive measure than an intrusive one.”
Legitimate concerns and discrimination
“While the concerns of homeowners may be legitimate, discriminatory practices based on caste, community and religion are outdated and unacceptable,” says C. Jyothimani, Coimbatore district head of the All India Democratic Women’s Association. “These prejudices that persist in the city must be challenged and eliminated.”
The housing challenges faced by women bring to the fore deeper issues of discrimination and control by society. While homeowners justify their actions by citing safety concerns, such rules and regulations limit women’s freedom to a mere risk factor and ignore their autonomy. A middle path must be found for a just future.
(*Names have been changed for privacy.)
(With inputs from Nahla Nainar and Ansi Donal Madonna in Tiruchi, Sabari in Salem and Siby Srivathsan TC in Coimbatore)
published – December 08, 2024 12:32 am IST
