FlatHunt
Renting without paying brokerage
Updated 20 September 2026
Brokerage on a residential rental in an Indian metro is usually one month's rent, sometimes two, and it is paid by the tenant. On a ₹30,000 room that is ₹30,000 for an introduction and a viewing.
What the fee is actually for
A broker finds the listing, arranges the viewing, and pushes the paperwork along. On a whole-flat rental with an owner who does not want to deal with tenants, that is real work. On a room in a shared flat, where the people already living there know exactly who they want and can show you the room themselves, most of it is work nobody needed doing.
When you can avoid it
- Taking over a room from an outgoing tenant. The agreement exists, the deposit is placed, and the introduction is between two tenants. There is no role for an agent unless the owner insists on one.
- Joining a flat share directly. The people living there are the decision-makers.
- Dealing with an owner who lists directly. Less common, and worth asking about before assuming a fee.
What to check when there is no agent
The broker was, at minimum, a witness. Without one, do the checks yourself:
- See the agreement, or the part of it that names the tenants and the rent.
- Confirm the deposit amount with both the outgoing tenant and whoever holds the lease.
- Visit the flat. Meet the people. Do not send money before both.
- Keep the agreement in writing, even if it is only a message thread.
- Be suspicious of any request for money before a viewing. A real room does not need a deposit to hold it for a day.
What “no brokerage” should mean
It should mean there is no agent and no commission, not that the commission has been renamed. If a platform charges a “convenience fee” or a “tenant registration” that scales with the rent, that is brokerage. FlatHunt charges neither: posting, browsing, shortlisting and messaging are free, and the paid tier is a flat subscription that does not change with the size of your rent.
Find a room, or the person who takes yours
FlatHunt is built for exactly this handover, in Bengaluru, Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad, Delhi NCR, Chennai, Kolkata and Chandigarh.