The rent is the number everyone looks at first. It is rarely the number a tenant actually pays.
A flat listed at ₹24,000 a month can mean very different things. Is maintenance included? How big is the deposit? Who pays for the agreement? Is there a painting charge at move-out? Every one of those answers changes whether the flat fits someone's budget. A listing that hides them does not save you any calls. It just moves the disappointment to later, when it costs everyone more time.
The numbers every rental listing needs
Whether you are letting a 2BHK in Velachery or a bed in a PG in HSR Layout, a tenant needs the same small set of numbers before deciding to visit:
- Monthly rent
- Maintenance, and whether it is included in the rent
- Security deposit, in rupees
- Utilities: electricity, water, gas, internet
- One-time costs: agreement, brokerage if any, move-in charges
- Notice period and any lock-in
Maintenance confuses first-time renters more than anything else. In plain words, it is the monthly amount the apartment association collects for common areas: lifts, security, the garden, sometimes water. Some landlords include it in the rent. Others ask the tenant to pay it separately. Both are fine. Not saying which is not.
Write the deposit in rupees, not only in months
"Deposit: 3 months" makes the reader do sums, and it gets confusing when maintenance is involved. Is it three months of rent, or rent plus maintenance? Write the figure: "Deposit: ₹75,000, refundable."
Then say how it comes back. When is it returned after the tenant leaves? What can be deducted: unpaid bills, damage beyond normal wear, painting? Deposit disputes cause a lot of bad feeling between landlords and tenants, and most of them start with something that was never written down.
Deposit expectations also vary a lot between cities, between flats and PGs, and between furnished and unfurnished homes. Whatever yours is, state it clearly and let the right tenants find you.
Utilities and one-time charges
For a flat, utilities are usually simple, but they still need saying. Electricity on the tenant's own meter, or shared? Piped gas or cylinder? Is water included in maintenance, or is there a separate tanker bill in summer?
For a PG, it matters even more. Write it out: "₹11,000 per bed, double sharing. Includes breakfast and dinner, Wi-Fi, housekeeping twice a week and drinking water. Electricity charged separately by room meter." That one sentence prevents most arguments at the end of the month.
Then there are the costs that appear only once, which are exactly the ones people forget to mention. Painting or deep cleaning at move-out. A key or access card deposit. Agreement preparation and registration charges, and how they are split.
Rules on rental agreements, registration and stamp duty differ from state to state. Check with a local professional what applies to you, and then put on the listing who bears which cost, as your agreement says.
A layout that works
Here is a simple block you can copy for a flat. The figures are made up, so swap in your own:
- Rent: ₹24,000 per month
- Maintenance: ₹3,000 per month, paid to the association by the tenant
- Deposit: ₹75,000, refunded within two weeks of handover
- Electricity: tenant's own meter
- Notice period: one month from either side
- Move-in total: ₹1,02,000 (first month's rent and maintenance, plus deposit)
That last line is the most useful one on the page. Someone moving to Chennai from Kolkata for a new job needs to know how much cash to arrange before they travel. Very few listings tell them. Yours can.
While you are at it, say which area you are quoting. Carpet area and super built-up area can differ a lot, and tenants notice. Carpet, built-up and super built-up area explains the difference.
Why hiding the number costs you
"Rent negotiable" or "price on request" feels flexible. To a tenant, it feels like work. Many people simply skip a listing without a figure. The ones who call often open with an offer far below what you want, because you gave them nothing to anchor on. If there is room to negotiate, say so, but give the number. The same logic for sale prices is in how to show price without losing trust.
There is a newer reason as well. People now ask Google, or an AI assistant like ChatGPT, things like "2BHK for rent in Velachery under ₹25,000". A listing with no rent on it cannot be matched to that question at all. Clear figures written as text are part of what makes a page findable in the first place.
This week
Take your three most-viewed listings and check each against the list above. Add every missing number, add a move-in total, and compare the terms to your agreement. Twenty minutes per listing is usually enough, and every one of those tenants will arrive knowing what they are signing up for.
