The two lakh-strong student community hailing from other parts of the country and abroad is coming up with some unique solutions to challenges thrown by house-owners who refuse to let out residential space to students but only to families. In what is emerging as a studied response to this problem, many students are persuading their parents to take turns to come and stay with them so that they graduate to the ‘family’ category — the basic requirement if you are to be given a house on rent in Pune these days.

When Saarthak Dutt, an engineering student, finished his semester exams this May and was planning a trip to Lucknow, his hometown, he got an e-mail from his landlord based in Singapore. The mail was the mandatory one-month notice, saying that the contract could not be renewed and Dutt and his four friends with whom he shared the apartment could look out elsewhere.

The next one month — his annual break — was spent in Pune, looking for an apartment. The frenzied house search proved unfruitful as most landlords said they couldn’t rent out the house to students, as the housing society did not allow students as tenants.

“Every other apartment owner, whom we approached, said we should get our parents here if we wanted to stay on. Finally, we decided that our mothers will take turns and stay with us,” said Dutt.

Meena Dutt, his mother, is not too pleased with the two months that she is forced to spent in Pune before another mother takes over. “I work as a teacher in Lucknow and it is difficult for me to come every 10 months and stay here. People here should understand that students too need a place to stay if they are to study here, especially when the college is not providing a hostel facility. Colleges should look into the matter.”

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