Students leaving Satya Niketan in search of safer living conditions are finding that paying more does not necessarily buy them safety. Even after spending up to ₹20,000 a month, many are ending up in cramped rooms in ageing buildings, with poor ventilation, inadequate facilities and little assurance about structural safety.

The building collapse a few days ago has prompted students to look beyond Satya Niketan, with many exploring areas such as Vasant Gaon, Naraina and Mayapuri, as well as neighbourhoods with easy access to metro stations.

However, for those on limited budgets, the search has often led to the same compromises they were trying to escape. As a result, many have already returned to their hometowns, missing classes.

Cost of education

For newcomers, the economic cost of education begins not with college fees but with finding private accommodation. In student hubs, rooms are available for ₹8,000 to ₹21,000 a month, often with little difference in the facilities offered.

“I have paid ₹48,000 [including deposit] in the first month itself for accommodation. My college fee is ₹27,000, payable in instalments throughout the year. Besides this, I also need to cover my personal expenses. My father, a mechanic, has managed the money with difficulty,” said Priyam Khushwaha, a first-year student from Uttar Pradesh.

Karan Mahajan, a second-year student from Punjab, said Vasant Gaon and Naraina have cheaper accommodation with slightly bigger rooms, but no one can guarantee safety there either.

“The only way to break the cycle of poor conditions is to rent a flat and arrange for food, laundry, etc. on your own,” he added.

Most accommodations offer a single room with two beds placed close together, a cupboard and a washroom. Food and water are included in the rent, but electricity is charged separately, with some accommodations charging as much as ₹14 per unit.

“Room rent can vary from floor to floor in a single building. Rent agreements take no responsibility in case of an emergency, and no refund or return policy is mentioned in such cases. The rooms are shared by two persons, with each room in a five-storey building fetching the owners at least ₹30,000. Despite that, what we get in the name of food is deplorable. The buildings are full of cube-like structures separated by plywood,” said Kapilesh Yadav, a third-year DU student from Haryana.

Caught in the trap

Newcomers to the city are the first to fall into the “trap”.

“As a fresher, the only thing on your mind is to find a place to dump your luggage and sleep at night. The rooms are marketed as the best thing available, and if you point out faults, the managers simply say, ‘Leave, we will find someone else,’” said Ankita Sharma, a first-year student who moved to Delhi from Uttar Pradesh a week ago.

“It took me at least 15-20 visits to find the current PG where I am staying. I pay ₹20,000 for a basic room and electricity is paid for through a monthly recharge. In the first two days, I got scammed when my electricity bill showed ₹600. An average student here pays around ₹1,500 a month for electricity,” she said.

The cracks and structural faults come to light after a few months, and students cannot vacate immediately because of an 11-month rent agreement.

“I vacated my previous PG a year ago after many bad experiences. I am yet to receive my two-month security deposit of ₹30,000,” said Manpreet Kaur, a second-year student from Punjab.

“I was taking a bath one day when a tile fell from the ceiling. Within days, half of the bathroom tiles fell off. When I contacted the PG managers, they said it would be repaired soon. But no repairs were made, and two days later, the exhaust fan fell. I realised it was no longer safe to live there, so I shifted to another PG nearby. The conditions here are better but not ideal,” she added.

The PGs where owners stay in the same building were reported to have better conditions. However, these buildings rise to five or six floors, exceeding permissible limits.

Published – September 09, 2026 12:35 am IST