The city boasts of being one of the ‘safest metros’ in the country, especially for women.
However, many single working women confess that finding accommodation within the city can be a nightmare.
Hailing from Delhi, Pallavi Pillai who moved to the city two months ago says, “I found that house owners were generally apprehensive of renting out their place to women. Strict curfews and a rigid no-guest policy were non-negotiables I faced everywhere I went. This was a deal-breaker because I work for an IT firm and often work late.”
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A broker who operates in Kilpauk admits to not entertaining any requests by single women looking for apartments. Unmarried women seem to be perceived as unnecessary ‘risks’ people are unwilling to take. “It just doesn’t work out. Owners prefer families and are weary of women occupants.”
However, he adds, “Single women are always preferred in comparison to single men by house owners.”
Even in the broad category of ‘single women’, there is a hierarchy at play, it appears. Johnshi Panneerselvam, a 26-year-old software professional working in the city, explains that the younger the woman, the easier it is to get accommodation.
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“The older you get, they get suspicious. They start wondering why you are not getting married, whether you are divorced. Basically, whether there is something wrong with you,” she says.
Nithya Sivashankar, 25, an editor at Karadi Tales , says that the intrusive questions don’t stop even after finding accommodation. “Sometimes it is not your landlord, but the neighbours who pose problems. Even if I’m talking to a male friend within the compound, I feel neighbours looking disapprovingly. One of my friends even had to introduce her entire family to the neighbours so that they knew that it was only them she was bringing home.”
While the city may pride itself on being safe, it still has a long way to go to in making single working women feel more welcome.