VISAKHAPATNAM: YOUNG entrepreneurs of the Sunrise Startup village who have come from places like Nandyal, Vijayawada, Anantapur and Chennai are facing a tough time in finding rented accommodation in the city.
While the startup incubation centre is a springboard for the entrepreneurs in the state, the house owners in the city are refusing to let out their premises, fearing troubles from bachelors.
The professionals say they face a volley of questions from the house owners pertaining to their food habits, marital status, job, timings and family.
“Are you a vegetarian? A house owner asked me when I enquired if his premises is available on rent. After quizzing me for almost an hour, he said he would not give me the room because I am a bachelor,” says Vikram, a native of Nandyal, adding that he had joined a hostel.
“We prefer a house which we can use as our office-cum-home. Some owners are ready to let out their premises for office only,” says Vikram.
Even the professionals of the old startups are facing problem. “Once a startup is established, the promoters prefer to have their own accommodation and leave the startup village. In that case, we have to search for new rooms as our offices have been moved. And the problems of house hunting begins again,” Vikram points out.
Some house owners puts several conditions such as no late-night parties, no alcohol, no visitors and assurances given by the parents of tenants.”Vizag, despite quite a cosmopolitan city, seems to be different. After living in Bengaluru, I found this place little tough to adjust with. And finding a rented house here is a Herculean Task. I had to search for three months, before I found a place to stay at my friend’s apartment at Sagar Nagar,” says P Anand.
Some landlords totally rule out the entrepreneurs, presuming that they won’t pay the rent regularly. “I approached at least 10 land lords for a rented accommodations. But no luck. They said entrepreneurs do not pay rent regularly,” says Akram from Odisha who is working for a food startup here.
“For my profession, I need to have meetings with my team which have women professionals, at least once a week. But house owners are strictly against girls coming into the room. I am staying as a paying guest now and have meetings outside,” he said.
The situation for the girls is even worse. Though they come with parents in tow in search of house, house owners do not even consider their request. “With reference from my friend, I got a house near the startup village. But my land lord said he must speak to my parents at least once a week and would do surprise checks on my room once in two days,” says Akshitha Jain from Kolkata. “Now, if I have to stay at my friend’s place, my parents have to call to the house owner and inform,” she added.