Prannay Kapur, a computer science graduate, arrived in Gurugram with a founder’s optimism and a laptop full of code. The goal was modest: a one-and-a-half room place near the tech corridor—enough to sleep, cook, and grind through the unending hours a startup demands. The reality read like a familiar rejection script. Listings spoke in coded refusals: “families only,” “couples preferred,” “no singles.” When a viewing materialized, the arithmetic turned punitive—security deposit, brokerage, advance rent, basic furnishings—stacking into two to four times monthly rent before a key could change hands. The first month as a founder became about cash for housing, not runway for an idea.
Calls and conversations with those who make, interpret, and enforce the rules drew sympathetic nods and a familiar shrug. This is a problem, agreed. It shouldn’t be this hard, agreed again. Then the off-ramp: this isn’t exactly in our mandate. Between tenancy norms, brokerage customs, society by-laws, and a grievance system built for another era, the problem fell into the spaces between institutions. Everyone was sympathetic; nobody felt empowered or responsible. If a millennium city wants to be a magnet for investment, it must first be hospitable to young talent—who are, by default, often single, mobile, and time-poor.
Gurugram markets a sleek promise: infra on the horizon, venture meetups, global offices within sight of the Metro. A magnet city delivers on basics, not just the skyline. Hospitality for talent is not a smile at an airport terminal; it is a fair lease, a predictable deposit, a grievance line that answers, and rules written in plain language rather than fine print. The city’s promise rises or falls on a newcomer’s first week.
The friction is not only about price, though price bites. In core micro-markets—Cyber City, Golf Course Road, Golf Course Extension—advertised rents for compact units often begin where entry-level salaries strain. Deposits multiply the burden; brokerage adds another layer. The deeper barrier is the sum of small frictions: the non-negotiables slipped into conversations (“no bachelors”), the curfew introduced as courtesy, the inspection that starts with suspicion and ends with deductions. For a founder, a day spent reworking a clause is a day not spent shipping a feature or meeting a pilot customer.
The fix is not revolutionary. It is administrative housekeeping delivered with urgency. Start with standardized, fair, digital leases—templates that cap deposits reasonably, mandate a 15-day refund with itemized deductions and receipts, and record the condition of a home with timestamped photos so the end is as fair as the beginning. Add escrow for deposits so neither side can weaponize them, and brokerage norms that are public, receipted, and capped. Layer in grievance redress that runs on the clock: seven days for documentation issues, fifteen for deposit disputes, with automatic escalation if timelines slip. Turn on the sunlight: a live dashboard that shows where problems cluster, how fast they are resolved, and whether repeat offenders learn.
“Sorry, Prannay Kapur. A city that can onboard Fortune 500s should not make a first-time founder spend two to four months’ rent before handing over a key.”
Call this bundle of common-sense protections the Prannay Kapur Act —not a statute yet, but a governance compact the city can pilot tomorrow.
What the Prannay Kapur Act Would Do
Standardize fairness with digital leases
Deposit ceiling: Cap at a reasonable multiple (e.g., 2 months’ rent). Any higher amount requires written consent and reasons.
Refund clock: Return deposits within 15 days of handover with itemized deductions and receipts.
Inspection protocol: Move-in/move-out checklist with timestamped photos.
Non-discrimination: No refusal based on marital status, gender, caste, religion, sexual orientation, or occupation, consistent with law.
One-click execution: E-stamp, Aadhaar e-sign, automated clause check, and a simple 'lease quality score'.
De-risk deposits and clean up brokerage
Escrow deposits: Hold funds in low-cost escrow; auto-release on move-out unless a dispute is filed.
Brokerage code: Clear fee bands (0.5–1 month), mandatory receipts, GST compliance, conflict-of-interest disclosures, and a public registry for licensed agents.
Make grievances timely and trackable
Single-window intake: Web/app portal with secure uploads and OTP-based verification.
Triage and SLAs:
A: Documentation/receipts — 7 days.
B: Deposit refunds — 15 days; interim guidance in 5 days.
C: Discrimination complaints — 48-hour acknowledgment; 7-day initial decision; 30-day final decision.
Escalation: Auto-escalate on SLA breach; enable online mediation; clear tribunal appeal path.
Public dashboard: Cases, median resolution time, outcomes by category, micro-market heat maps, and repeat-offender flags (privacy-preserving).
Put housing near jobs
Workforce/co-living pilots: Incentivize supply in transit-rich corridors; publish eligibility, occupancy, and inspection data.
Mobility relief: Discounted transit passes for first-year founders and freshers linked to startup hubs.
Explain it, show it, deliver it
Plain-language explainers: “Your deposit rights in 60 seconds,” “Checklist before signing,” “How to file a complaint.”
Cadence: Short, frequent updates via Instagram/YouTube; alerts through WhatsApp Channels/Telegram; moderated AMAs.
Audit-ready: Pre-approved templates, legal review, content logs.
Imagine the same week, rewritten. A verified listing shows a one-and-a-half room studio within fifteen minutes of the office. The lease template displays a quality score—92/100—flagging deviations in blunt, non-legalese. The deposit moves into escrow with a tap. A move-in checklist anchors the condition of the home. On exit, the refund clock is visible; the itemized statement is mandatory; escalation is two clicks away. That is what welcome looks like when a city means it.
Sorry, Prannay Kapur. A city that can onboard Fortune 500s should not make a first-time founder spend 2 to 4 times monthly rent before handing over a key. An apology without a plan is a headline without a story. The plan is straightforward: fix the basics, standardize fairness, digitize the critical steps, escrow what can be abused, answer complaints on time, and speak plainly, often, where young professionals already are. A city that can attract capital can also onboard first-time founders—if the front door opens on the first knock.
How Deposit Escrow Works
What it is: An interest-bearing account holding the tenant’s deposit, released automatically upon move-out unless a dispute is logged.
Why it matters: Prevents wrongful withholding, reduces disputes, and speeds up turnover for landlords.
At a glance:
Funds deposited at signing
Move-in/move-out checklist forms the basis for deductions
Auto-release after handover + 15 days unless a case is filed
Appeals and mediation available via the same portal
Mini-FAQ: Grievance Timelines
How fast are documentation issues resolved? Within 7 days.
What about deposit refunds? Within 15 days; interim guidance within 5 days.
How are discrimination complaints handled? Acknowledgment in 48 hours; initial decision in 7 days; final in 30 days.
What if a deadline slips? Automatic escalation to a senior officer; mediation available; tribunal appeal path clearly listed.
(The content is written by OP Singh, DGP & Head, Haryana State Narcotics Control Bureau, is author of the soon-to-be-published book ‘Why We Gather: Crowds, Smartphones & The Future of Democracy)