The Real Struggle Behind Students’ Life in Pune

Reported by Devapriya K J & Kajal Bhukan
Pune, 20th July 2025: As the academic year 2025 starts, many freshers are excited to start their college journey. However, for many students coming to Pune from other cities, finding a place to live poses a significant challenge. This major issue often turns into a stressful task for most first-year students, who spend days searching for accommodations. The high price and safety concerns make the situation even worse.

Sonali Priya, a student from Delhi who moved to Pune for her studies, shared her experience. “I struggled a lot to find a decent PG accommodation,” she said. “Though there were Telegram groups with PG listings, they didn’t help much. Finally, my friend and I started going lane by lane in the Karvenagar area, as our professor had told us it was a student-friendly locality. That’s how we finally found a PG.”

Brokerage and unclear rental dealings are another problem that many students face. Without proper information and guidance, most first-time renters get tricked into paying extra money or signing unfair rental terms. In many cases, students are often misled by agents who take extra commission without any formal agreements or payment receipts. This kind of activity not only makes students lose money but also adds a lot of unnecessary stress to their academic life.

Aakash Lonkar, a student who recently shifted to a flat, shared his experience with Punekar.

“I was living in a hostel earlier, which was easy. However, when I decided to move in with a friend, we turned to Telegram groups to explore our options. Though we did find flats, most of them didn’t suit us—either the condition was poor, or some were already being shared by others,” he said.

Eventually, Aakash and his friends contacted a broker for help.

“He showed us one flat, but we didn’t like it. Then he sent us to another flat owner, and even that didn’t work out. Finally, we were referred to another building by that owner, and we decided to take that flat,” he explained.

But what followed left them shocked.

“All three people—the broker, the first owner, and the final owner—asked us for brokerage, saying they had spent time helping us. We were shocked, but after some discussion, we gave in and paid.”

Aakash’s experience shows the absence of proper and clear rental rules and how it can create confusion and extra costs for students. Most of the students in Pune experience the same problem, where they often end up paying more than they should. Especially for newcomers, these issues—combined with adjusting to a new city, academic pressure, and homesickness—can make settling in Pune a difficult start.

As Pune grows as an educational hub, it turns out to be an urgent concern these days to make a safer and affordable environment for students. It can be practical with proper rules and regulations and by providing student housing options, especially for the students who are new to the city. And it is right of every student to be informed and guided with proper support and a system, so that it will be easier for them to settle in the new city.