Buying vs renting: From intrusive landlords to missed opportunities, netizens share why they chose to invest in property

Hindustan Times

10 hours ago

From intrusive landlords to rising property prices, many Netizens shared why they chose to buy instead of rent. One user recalled missing the opportunity to buy during COVID, only to see prices nearly double later. Another described how their landlord frequently invaded their privacy by showing the flat to potential buyers, prompting them to purchase their own home. From intrusive landlords to rising property prices, many Netizens shared why they chose to buy instead of rent. One user recalled missing the opportunity to buy during COVID, only to see prices nearly double later. (Representational Image)(Souptik Datta )
Others suggested a hybrid approach: buy a smaller property to earn rental income while continuing to rent a home in a preferred location.
In a Reddit thread, users pushed back against the widely circulated financial advice that renting is better than buying, especially when it comes to 'low' rental yields and the virtues of systematic investment plans (SIP). For many, the numbers and the lived experience tell a different story.
One Redditor shared a personal story about renting a ground-floor apartment where the landlord frequently invaded their privacy to show the flat to potential buyers. When all other prospective buyers dropped out, the owner kept pushing for visits, eventually driving the tenant to move out and buy their own flat.
'For me, the rent and EMI difference was just ₹ 10,000, buying made more sense,' one user said, adding that the landlord would likely have increased the rent soon anyway. 'At least now my payments go toward owning something.'
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Another user, who had been tracking Noida's real estate market since 2014, came close to buying a 3BHK in a project near the Noida Expressway for under ₹ 1 crore. But that moment of hesitation proved costly after COVID, the same apartment soared in value, reaching prices between ₹ 2.5 crore and ₹ 3 crore.
"I prefer buying as it makes financial and emotional sense. I still regret the missed opportunities I had. But since then, I took action and now have 2 properties yielding 7% by traditional calc and 33% on my investment. Another property for self-use will be delivered next year, and I continue to look for more," the Redditor wrote.
Another Redditor detailed how they purchased a fully-furnished 3BHK in Noida's Sector 107 in 2019 for ₹ 1 crore, including interiors and registration.
The rental income started at ₹ 20,000 per month and rose steadily to ₹ 32,000 by 2024.
"Closed home loan in 3 years and now sold this flat at ₹ 2 crore because the prices have skyrocketed, and it was difficult to get many buyers at this price. Now I bought one in Faridabad at ₹ 1.10 crore, and the price has increased there as well," he wrote. Should you rent in Delhi and invest in Gurugram?
Another Redditor living in West Delhi explained why they chose to rent rather than buy their primary residence. With quality 3 BHK apartments in the area priced around ₹ 1.7 crore, the user felt the cost was unjustifiable. Instead, they opted to rent a similar home for ₹ 25,000 a month, an amount they considered very reasonable. With the capital saved, they invested in multiple small, affordable, and EWS-category properties in Gurugram.
That strategic decision is now paying off. "Now I get a rental income of more than ₹ 1 lakh. If you have money to buy the first one or can close your home loan within 3-5 years, it's ok to buy a home. So, depending upon the situation, either buy or rent or just buy small properties which can help u get a good rental income while u still stay at a rented place," he wrote.
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Having moved to Bengaluru 14 years ago, one of the Redditors wrote he had always aspired to live in an upscale complex in the eastern IT corridor of Whitefield.
"Then one day, the owner suddenly doubled the rent. It was already high, and now it was beyond my reach. A lot of expats stay in this society, for whom it's their offices that pay the rent, so the market prices shot up. However, it was so high that even expats were moving out since it wasn't in their budget. That was the last straw," he wrote.
'We moved out and closed the deal on buying an apartment,' he said.