Hostels, PG stay mushroomIf you are single and pursuing academics, finding an appropriate accommodation will not be much of a problem. Though employed men and women are at a disadvantage since most housing societies are reluctant to rent flats to bachelors, there are options galore for students who arrive from near and far.
With colleges and professional academies mushrooming, Nagpur has become a hub for the student community and the city extends a warm welcome to one and all. Be it professionally-managed hostels like Surabhi on Amravati Road and Mansi in Dharampeth or obscure paying guest accommodations in pockets surrounding educational institutes, students are spoilt for choice.
While paying guests prefer the personal bonding and homelike atmosphere offered by house owners, hostelites detest being under the scanner all the time and prefer independence and freedom. "It boils down to personal choice ultimately," says Kalyani Urkude, a student from Gadchiroli.
For property owners, it's a win-win situation. Mukund Papinwar, a lawyer who owns Surabhi hostel, says, "Running a hostel can be a profitable business, if managed professionally. There are several factors like location, proximity, security, cleanliness, mess and so on that make it a successful venture. Above all, it is social work. When parents thank us for looking after their daughters well, we feel very satisfied."
Bungalow owners who wish to capitalize on the extra space make some alterations in their homes to suit tenants. Some have even added a floor or an extra room, with separate entrances. Paying guest accommodation is definitely cheaper but may not suit all.
Senior citizen Urmila Amte (name changed) who has been letting out her spacious bungalow along Canal Road to girls for the last 15 years said this was an ideal source of additional income for senior citizens who depend solely on pension. "We were a huge joint family and hence had a big home but as the family dispersed and fewer members remained, we realized we could put the free rooms to use. Not only does it add a little to our dwindling funds but also gives us a sense of security. The good-mannered girls from cultured backgrounds stay on for years but not all are so accommodating," she said.
Landlords prefer girls over boys as tenants and refuse to let rooms to families. "We have daughters and daughters-in-laws at home and prefer girls. Families do not easily vacate the home and boys can be unruly," explained Vedika Amrapurkar, a house owner.
Urkude added, "I prefer the personal attention I get at my landlady's house. They treat me a family member and never let me feel lonely. Some owners provide food while some don't but we can always opt for tiffins. Government hostels are in pathetic shape and commercial hostels, though good, are expensive. PGs offer a mix of both."
Neha Bhaiya, a student residing at Surabhi Girls Hostel, said, "I did not find owners adjusting with regard to timings. We sometimes have extra classes or workshops late in evenings and hostel management allows us to stay out till late if duly permitted by parents but individual owners don't. Also, hostels have laundry facilities and mess that offer good food at fixed hours so we don't have to wait for endless hours for the tiffin provider. Besides, we are a big gang of girls and have a ball of a time while PG landlords impose too many restrictions on sound and are very interfering by nature."
The landlord-tenant relationship has undergone a sea change over the years, pointed Amte. "The socio-cultural fabric has changed completely. Earlier, parents had a say in where their daughters will stay. They preferred paying guest accommodation as they felt their daughters would be secure. They would call us on landlines to keep check on their daughters and urge us to scold them if they erred but parents no longer bother to stay in touch now and girls enjoy complete freedom. They do not appreciate our concern and are unwilling to take advice."
Amrapurkar said she did not think twice before asking a paying guest to vacate if she was unhappy with a girl's behaviour. "I prefer girls to be home at a reasonable hour. I feel responsible for their safety and do not appreciate seeing them hang out with boys. With easy access to laptops, TV and mobile phones, most girls have strayed and this leads to unhappy situations."
Not all owners are strict and some do not prescribe too many rules or interfere much, argues Sharvari Patil, a student who finds her landlady helpful. "I know I can depend on them if ever I need help in an unknown city. They make me feel secure," she points out.
Letting out rooms to PGs is, however, not a good choice for those who are not comfortable living with strangers under the same roof.
FACILITIES STUDENTS CAN EXPECT
Most owners offer paying guests a bed, a closet, a geyser in the bathroom and perhaps a table and chair in the room. A single room with these facilities can cost up to Rs 4000 per month. Some owners don't mind offering television, usually placed in a common hall. Some also offer two or four-wheeler parking but charge a fee for the same. Allowing use of washing machine or iron is optional. A domestic help to clean the room is a must. If a room is shared on cot basis, the rent amounts to Rs 2500-3000 per head. Usually, tenants pay a deposit equivalent to one month's rent. Rent is collected in advance at the beginning of the month. Good hostels charge Rs 5000-6000 per month, inclusive of food and laundry.
With colleges and professional academies mushrooming, Nagpur has become a hub for the student community and the city extends a warm welcome to one and all. Be it professionally-managed hostels like Surabhi on Amravati Road and Mansi in Dharampeth or obscure paying guest accommodations in pockets surrounding educational institutes, students are spoilt for choice.
While paying guests prefer the personal bonding and homelike atmosphere offered by house owners, hostelites detest being under the scanner all the time and prefer independence and freedom. "It boils down to personal choice ultimately," says Kalyani Urkude, a student from Gadchiroli.
For property owners, it's a win-win situation. Mukund Papinwar, a lawyer who owns Surabhi hostel, says, "Running a hostel can be a profitable business, if managed professionally. There are several factors like location, proximity, security, cleanliness, mess and so on that make it a successful venture. Above all, it is social work. When parents thank us for looking after their daughters well, we feel very satisfied."
Bungalow owners who wish to capitalize on the extra space make some alterations in their homes to suit tenants. Some have even added a floor or an extra room, with separate entrances. Paying guest accommodation is definitely cheaper but may not suit all.
Senior citizen Urmila Amte (name changed) who has been letting out her spacious bungalow along Canal Road to girls for the last 15 years said this was an ideal source of additional income for senior citizens who depend solely on pension. "We were a huge joint family and hence had a big home but as the family dispersed and fewer members remained, we realized we could put the free rooms to use. Not only does it add a little to our dwindling funds but also gives us a sense of security. The good-mannered girls from cultured backgrounds stay on for years but not all are so accommodating," she said.
Landlords prefer girls over boys as tenants and refuse to let rooms to families. "We have daughters and daughters-in-laws at home and prefer girls. Families do not easily vacate the home and boys can be unruly," explained Vedika Amrapurkar, a house owner.
Urkude added, "I prefer the personal attention I get at my landlady's house. They treat me a family member and never let me feel lonely. Some owners provide food while some don't but we can always opt for tiffins. Government hostels are in pathetic shape and commercial hostels, though good, are expensive. PGs offer a mix of both."
Neha Bhaiya, a student residing at Surabhi Girls Hostel, said, "I did not find owners adjusting with regard to timings. We sometimes have extra classes or workshops late in evenings and hostel management allows us to stay out till late if duly permitted by parents but individual owners don't. Also, hostels have laundry facilities and mess that offer good food at fixed hours so we don't have to wait for endless hours for the tiffin provider. Besides, we are a big gang of girls and have a ball of a time while PG landlords impose too many restrictions on sound and are very interfering by nature."
The landlord-tenant relationship has undergone a sea change over the years, pointed Amte. "The socio-cultural fabric has changed completely. Earlier, parents had a say in where their daughters will stay. They preferred paying guest accommodation as they felt their daughters would be secure. They would call us on landlines to keep check on their daughters and urge us to scold them if they erred but parents no longer bother to stay in touch now and girls enjoy complete freedom. They do not appreciate our concern and are unwilling to take advice."
Amrapurkar said she did not think twice before asking a paying guest to vacate if she was unhappy with a girl's behaviour. "I prefer girls to be home at a reasonable hour. I feel responsible for their safety and do not appreciate seeing them hang out with boys. With easy access to laptops, TV and mobile phones, most girls have strayed and this leads to unhappy situations."
Not all owners are strict and some do not prescribe too many rules or interfere much, argues Sharvari Patil, a student who finds her landlady helpful. "I know I can depend on them if ever I need help in an unknown city. They make me feel secure," she points out.
Letting out rooms to PGs is, however, not a good choice for those who are not comfortable living with strangers under the same roof.
FACILITIES STUDENTS CAN EXPECT
Most owners offer paying guests a bed, a closet, a geyser in the bathroom and perhaps a table and chair in the room. A single room with these facilities can cost up to Rs 4000 per month. Some owners don't mind offering television, usually placed in a common hall. Some also offer two or four-wheeler parking but charge a fee for the same. Allowing use of washing machine or iron is optional. A domestic help to clean the room is a must. If a room is shared on cot basis, the rent amounts to Rs 2500-3000 per head. Usually, tenants pay a deposit equivalent to one month's rent. Rent is collected in advance at the beginning of the month. Good hostels charge Rs 5000-6000 per month, inclusive of food and laundry.
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