PG hunting checklist: what to check before you pay

A PG is the quickest way to start in a new city. You can usually move in within days, with a bed, a cupboard and often meals included. It is also easy to get wrong when you are choosing from another city. Use this list, in order.

Before you visit

• Decide your must-haves: commute, food, sharing type, and whether you need an AC room.
• Shortlist three or four places in PG listings near work or college, so you can see them in one day.
• Ask each owner or manager what is included in the monthly amount: food, electricity, Wi-Fi, laundry, cleaning.
• Ask about the deposit, how it is returned, and the notice period for leaving.

On the visit

1. See the exact bed you would get, not only a sample room.
2. Check the bathroom, water supply and how many people share each bathroom.
3. Eat a meal there if the food is included, or at least see the kitchen.
4. Check the locks, the lights on the stairs, the entry rules and the closing time.
5. Ask current residents how long they have lived there and what they would change.
6. Walk the route to your office or college at the time you would actually travel.

Before you pay anything

• Get the rent, deposit, notice period and house rules in writing, even if it is a short message.
• Pay by a traceable method and keep a receipt for every amount.
• Never pay a deposit for a room you have not seen, whatever the photos look like.
• Check that the photos match the room. If they do not, walk away and report the listing.

Bhavano checks listings before they go live, but we do not inspect properties. Read how we check listings and what we don't verify, and always see the place yourself.