Sense Check: Rented Accomodation Costs in Chennai

Penri · Jun 13th, 2006, 22:37

Only seven more days before I arrive in Chennai.

I've got a few meetings lined up with accommodation rental agencies and would like to sense check the prices I'm being quoted against the spec/location we're looking at before committing:

The ideal spec is:
South Chennai - on the East Coast Road
Beach House
3+ bedrooms
Swimming Pool
Partly/Fully furnished

Anyone with experience willing to venture a guess as to how much I'm being quoted?

Nick-H · Jun 13th, 2006, 23:05

A lot. This is way out of my league, but I'm going to guess 50 to 70 thousand a month.

Mrs N is bidding 30 to 50.

Hey... Does whoever is closest win the house?

Penri · Jun 13th, 2006, 23:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nick-H

A lot. This is way out of my league, but I'm going to guess 50 to 70 thousand a month.

Mrs N is bidding 30 to 50.

Not even close. I'm being quoted upwards of 1 Lac p/month!
That sort of figure would provide something comparable in the UK. Approx.£1300? The strange thing is that there seems to be little variation in price in relation to spec/quality within that area.

Nearly all the advice that I've received state that I would be paying too much at 80K p/m (which is my budget)

Is this a case of the agencies 'trying it on' with the idiot westerner or am I asking for too much for my money?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nick-H

Hey... Does whoever is closest win the house?

No, but I'll pay a 'finding fee' if you can point me in the direction of a suitable house under 70K

Nick-H · Jun 13th, 2006, 23:48

I probably guessed last year's price then

You are looking for something very posh in a part of the world where you are competing with rich NRIs, film producers etc...

citybell · Jun 14th, 2006, 01:17

Hi Penri,

For a just 3 bed room beach house with swimming pool etc..on ECR road( which is quite common in that area) should not cost you more than 60K permonth MAXIMUM as i have visited some of the beach houses there. If you are paying more than the above then you are being taken for a ride! Once they know that you are a foreigner, the agencies jack up the price to 3-5 times.

Nick-H · Jun 14th, 2006, 01:28

Quote:

Once they know that you are a foreigner,

Probably aren't many locals looking for property there, except the very rich.

Boatclub: that's another area you can try, for being shocked and horrified at prices. At least it has the advantage of being central.

Penri · Jun 14th, 2006, 11:22

Thanks Nick/Citybell,

I'll bear your comments in mind when I meet with these agencies next week.

As for living slightly more centrally: I naively agreed to relocate to India as I thought that myself and my family would benefit from a quieter/rural setting as opposed to our experiences of city living in London and Bristol.

This dream was shattered within 30 mins of landing in Chennai for my 'discovery visit' in March - I certainly discovered a lot during that week (inculding the importance of prudence

). I think that the ECR (or even further south) would just about rescue the dream.

capt_mahajan · Jun 14th, 2006, 12:26

rural? quieter? chennai?

thank god for your discovery visit, then!

i second the boat club area idea of nicks. for 80k you should find something there.

it wont be rural, but it will be quieter than a lot of chennai. and its central.

i would also look up indiaproperties.com or 99acres.com for an idea of asking rates. subject to haggling, of course.

Nick-H · Jun 14th, 2006, 14:19

Boatclub is Chennai's Hampstead. Or Bishops' Avenue (once said to be the most expensive road in London to buy property) even.

It is about as rural as you'll get in Chennai, but I think I last heard that even a flat was 4 crores minimum to buy, so I wouldn't hold out much hope on the rental.

If I were you I'd explore the chances of a house and garden within Chennai. Adyar, Besant Nagar, Kalakchetra, etc etc have lots of lovely green tree-lined streets, and you may well be able to have your own rural idyl within your compound walls, without the huge expense of having the sea at the bottom of the garden (or even visible from the top-floor windows).

And while you're at it, let me know if you come accross anything nice for sale there

Auntyji · Jun 15th, 2006, 03:23

Venus Colony is also quiet, and tree-lined. It is not far from Chola Hotel/Agarwal Eye Hospital and is pretty central. I don't think it will be as expensive as Boat Club road (?). I heard that the water situation is not very good so please check on that. I guess I sound obsessive about the water thing, but please make sure to check if the building buys enough water if it does not have good ground water.

You can also check MRC Nagar- they have some nice apartment buildings there and it's close to the sea. MRC Nagar is on the way from Adyar to Santhome/Marina Beach. I'm sorry but I can't describe that better- I've forgotten the name of the main road from which MRC Nagar branches off. Greenways road/Santhome High road?

Nick-H · Jun 15th, 2006, 13:05

Yes, Chennai is actually full of quiet corners

. I'm hoping to buy a house in one of them.

I suspect that the relocation guys are really into the high end on property to satisfy their senior high-salary ex-pats.

What's your budget, Penri? We don't know if you are coming here to start a Chennai branch of an already sucessful business, or to do a startup from cold.

Looking at 1 lakh per month: heck, you might as well stay in a high-end hotel at first and look around.

Hope you are not going off Chennai

(Hello Auntiji, nice to see you around!)

Penri · Jun 15th, 2006, 16:56

Hi Nick,

Fortuntately I'm building a new service line (design/artwork studio) within our established Indian company in Tidel Park in Taramani. A cold startup would be difficult for me with my limited knowledge of India (and the apparent ambiguity of Indian law on the subject).

I'll be staying at The Park on Anna Salai until I source rented accomodation - which I'll need in place by the 1 July

to enable my wife to join me with our two cats (That's the date when our house in the UK will be rented).

My budget from the company for accomodation is up to 78K per month (They're also paying the deposit: Why is it 10 months in India?) . The budget allowance is based on discussions with colleagues and a meeting I had with Global Adjustments in March - They showed me a few suitable properties that were within budget, although I've since been told that it's impossible to find such properties for less than 1lak!

(hence this thread).

I'm not too concerned, when I first contacted G.A., they asked for 750USD just to show me around a few houses!

A quick "On your bike/autorick" later and they 'generously' waived that fee. I'll adopt the same approach when I see a house I like next week and get told: "for you? one lak".

Going off Chennai? Not yet, although (on balance) I feel that IM does portray India as a country full of crooks

(said he with the tin opener poised at the can of worms).

Auntyji · Jun 15th, 2006, 19:26

"Venus Colony would be a fraction the price of boatclub ...like, ordinary people live there!"

Nick, I didn't write this sentence in my post. How did you edit my post? It says "Last edited by Nick-H" at the bottom of my post!

Sama · Jun 15th, 2006, 20:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by Auntyji

I'm sorry but I can't describe that better- I've forgotten the name of the main road from which MRC Nagar branches off. Greenways road/Santhome High road?

yes, Auntyji, it is Greenways Road! That is the area where I stayed for 2 weeks in March at the Indian Bank Management Academy. It was a nice, quieter (for Chennai!) area, and at that time I saw them building "high-rise" apartments for sale. What struck me is that I saw actual patches of green lawn in front of some of the houses in that area.

can't believe I am actually giving neighborhood advice....

Nick-H · Jun 15th, 2006, 23:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by Auntyji

"Venus Colony would be a fraction the price of boatclub ...like, ordinary people live there!"

Nick, I didn't write this sentence in my post. How did you edit my post? It says "Last edited by Nick-H" at the bottom of my post!

Or.... How did my post end up in the middle of yours?

The results of incomptance can be so much more when a Mod

I guess I must have pressed "Edit" instead of Quote. 'Cos a mod can edit anybody' post. And it looks like I did by accident.

So a big Woops, and I'll just go and fix it.

Jun 13th, 2006, 22:37	#1
Penri Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Chennai Posts: 169	Sense Check: Rented Accomodation Costs in Chennai Only seven more days before I arrive in Chennai. I've got a few meetings lined up with accommodation rental agencies and would like to sense check the prices I'm being quoted against the spec/location we're looking at before committing: The ideal spec is: South Chennai - on the East Coast Road Beach House 3+ bedrooms Swimming Pool Partly/Fully furnished Anyone with experience willing to venture a guess as to how much I'm being quoted?

Jun 13th, 2006, 23:05	#2
Nick-H Loud-mouthed, Noisy Bird Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Chennai, India Posts: 27,692	A lot. This is way out of my league, but I'm going to guess 50 to 70 thousand a month. Mrs N is bidding 30 to 50. Hey... Does whoever is closest win the house? __________________ . Just one member of the IndiaMike Mod Team

Jun 15th, 2006, 03:23	#10
Auntyji One tight slap! Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: New York Posts: 323	Venus Colony is also quiet, and tree-lined. It is not far from Chola Hotel/Agarwal Eye Hospital and is pretty central. I don't think it will be as expensive as Boat Club road (?). I heard that the water situation is not very good so please check on that. I guess I sound obsessive about the water thing, but please make sure to check if the building buys enough water if it does not have good ground water. You can also check MRC Nagar- they have some nice apartment buildings there and it's close to the sea. MRC Nagar is on the way from Adyar to Santhome/Marina Beach. I'm sorry but I can't describe that better- I've forgotten the name of the main road from which MRC Nagar branches off. Greenways road/Santhome High road? Last edited by Nick-H : Jun 15th, 2006 at 23:47. Reason: Removed the accidental edit.

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Accomodation costs in Goa, Xmas/New Years?	jonnybardo	Goa	11	Nov 17th, 2008 12:56
Chennai Car Hire Costs	Nick-H	Buses, Automobiles, Motorcycles, and Bicycles	2	Nov 17th, 2005 12:54
No sense!	Aristocat	Trekking and Mountaineering in India	180	Aug 13th, 2005 13:46
accomodation in chennai	melissaj	Lodging and Hotels in India	11	Nov 27th, 2004 12:09
Inexpencive private accomodation for a longer period in chennai?	Lotus-Flower	Lodging and Hotels in India	0	Mar 24th, 2004 19:14

Jun 13th, 2006, 23:48	#4
Nick-H Loud-mouthed, Noisy Bird Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Chennai, India Posts: 27,692	I probably guessed last year's price then You are looking for something very posh in a part of the world where you are competing with rich NRIs, film producers etc...

Jun 14th, 2006, 01:17	#5
citybell Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: INDIA Posts: 167	Hi Penri, For a just 3 bed room beach house with swimming pool etc..on ECR road( which is quite common in that area) should not cost you more than 60K permonth MAXIMUM as i have visited some of the beach houses there. If you are paying more than the above then you are being taken for a ride! Once they know that you are a foreigner, the agencies jack up the price to 3-5 times.

Jun 14th, 2006, 11:22	#7
Penri Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Chennai Posts: 169	Thanks Nick/Citybell, I'll bear your comments in mind when I meet with these agencies next week. As for living slightly more centrally: I naively agreed to relocate to India as I thought that myself and my family would benefit from a quieter/rural setting as opposed to our experiences of city living in London and Bristol. This dream was shattered within 30 mins of landing in Chennai for my 'discovery visit' in March - I certainly discovered a lot during that week (inculding the importance of prudence ). I think that the ECR (or even further south) would just about rescue the dream.

Jun 14th, 2006, 12:26	#8
capt_mahajan (in charge of navel affairs) Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: India Posts: 10,509	rural? quieter? chennai? thank god for your discovery visit, then! i second the boat club area idea of nicks. for 80k you should find something there. it wont be rural, but it will be quieter than a lot of chennai. and its central. i would also look up indiaproperties.com or 99acres.com for an idea of asking rates. subject to haggling, of course.

Jun 14th, 2006, 14:19	#9
Nick-H Loud-mouthed, Noisy Bird Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Chennai, India Posts: 27,692	Boatclub is Chennai's Hampstead. Or Bishops' Avenue (once said to be the most expensive road in London to buy property) even. It is about as rural as you'll get in Chennai, but I think I last heard that even a flat was 4 crores minimum to buy, so I wouldn't hold out much hope on the rental. If I were you I'd explore the chances of a house and garden within Chennai. Adyar, Besant Nagar, Kalakchetra, etc etc have lots of lovely green tree-lined streets, and you may well be able to have your own rural idyl within your compound walls, without the huge expense of having the sea at the bottom of the garden (or even visible from the top-floor windows). And while you're at it, let me know if you come accross anything nice for sale there

Jun 15th, 2006, 13:05	#11
Nick-H Loud-mouthed, Noisy Bird Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Chennai, India Posts: 27,692	Yes, Chennai is actually full of quiet corners . I'm hoping to buy a house in one of them. I suspect that the relocation guys are really into the high end on property to satisfy their senior high-salary ex-pats. What's your budget, Penri? We don't know if you are coming here to start a Chennai branch of an already sucessful business, or to do a startup from cold. Looking at 1 lakh per month: heck, you might as well stay in a high-end hotel at first and look around. Hope you are not going off Chennai (Hello Auntiji, nice to see you around!)

Jun 15th, 2006, 16:56	#12
Penri Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Chennai Posts: 169	Hi Nick, Fortuntately I'm building a new service line (design/artwork studio) within our established Indian company in Tidel Park in Taramani. A cold startup would be difficult for me with my limited knowledge of India (and the apparent ambiguity of Indian law on the subject). I'll be staying at The Park on Anna Salai until I source rented accomodation - which I'll need in place by the 1 July to enable my wife to join me with our two cats (That's the date when our house in the UK will be rented). My budget from the company for accomodation is up to 78K per month (They're also paying the deposit: Why is it 10 months in India?) . The budget allowance is based on discussions with colleagues and a meeting I had with Global Adjustments in March - They showed me a few suitable properties that were within budget, although I've since been told that it's impossible to find such properties for less than 1lak! (hence this thread). I'm not too concerned, when I first contacted G.A., they asked for 750USD just to show me around a few houses! A quick "On your bike/autorick" later and they 'generously' waived that fee. I'll adopt the same approach when I see a house I like next week and get told: "for you? one lak". Going off Chennai? Not yet, although (on balance) I feel that IM does portray India as a country full of crooks (said he with the tin opener poised at the can of worms).

Jun 15th, 2006, 19:26	#13
Auntyji One tight slap! Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: New York Posts: 323	"Venus Colony would be a fraction the price of boatclub ...like, ordinary people live there!" Nick, I didn't write this sentence in my post. How did you edit my post? It says "Last edited by Nick-H" at the bottom of my post!

User Name		Remember Me?
Password