In Delhi’s student hubs, rooms shrink as rents and safety worries grow

A rooftop tin shed in Laxmi Nagar can leave a CA and CS student with a summer electricity bill of up to Rs 5,000 a month, even though she spends much of the day at coaching classes or in a library.

Across Delhi’s student neighbourhoods, renters described rooms with little space beyond a bed, shared bathrooms and rents starting around Rs 6,000 without food. Accommodation with food can cost Rs 12,000 to Rs 13,000, while some students said they pay Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,000 extra for a study table and separately for electricity.

In Old Rajinder Nagar, a student said his roommate lost Rs 10,000 after paying a broker who promised to arrange a room. Others said online photographs did not match the rooms they were shown.

Safety concerns run through several accounts. Students cited congested buildings above food shops, exposed wiring, narrow staircases and poorly lit lanes. Akanksha, a Daulat Ram College student, said an electric-pole spark beside her PG in May set clothes on a balcony on fire. The accounts come after the Satya Niketan collapse, in which seven students died.