Strange but true, this requirement for a huge deposit shakes up a person coming from places like Hyderabad, Delhi, Noida and Gurgaon, where the deposit amount is about two to three months of rent. Students getting admission in colleges in Chennai tend to stay in a flock wherein they divide the rent as well as the deposit, finally easing it a bit on their parents. The people who are really affected are those who are newly weds or a family which relocates due to the job of the man of the house. They have to shell out a lump sum for the deposit to take a house on rent, which for most is not easy.

Suresh Joshua Arokyaraj from Pallikarunai in Chennai says, "For a two bedroom flat the rent is Rs 6,000 and I am expected to deposit a sum of Rs.60, 000 for this.
If can afford such an amount, won't I be able to pay the down payment for a new flat?"

The argument is true for a person who is able to pay such a large sum can make a down payment for a new house which he can own. Residents of Chennai blame college students and the BPO. workers, who share the premises as well as the rent and the deposit, which make it easier for them to pay it. This, however, makes the landlord greedy for such high deposits which are interest free. Seeing it from the point of view of the landlord, the deposit comes handy if a tenant refuses to vacate the premises at the expiry of the agreement or if there is any damage done to the property, it can be cut from the deposit money.

One such landlord Mr. B. Arumugam says, " Tenants with children destroy the walls, their children scribble on the walls and it is hard for us to find a tenant if the walls are not clean. We have to pay from our pockets to repaint the house, but if we have the deposit with us the repairs can be done with the deposit money." Another major concern is of the tenants leaving without paying the current bills; in a case such as this the deposit money is a life saver for the landlords whose tenants vacate without a word.