Mumbai landlord regrets renting out ₹80 lakh flat after dispute over unpaid electricity bill: ‘Full-time stress job’

Owning a rental property may look like an easy source of passive income, but a Mumbai landlord’s viral post has sparked a discussion online about the stress that often comes with it.Ankit said that the incident made him question whether rental income is truly worth the stress. (Pexels/Representational image)An X user named Ankit Pandey recently shared his frustration over managing a rented flat in Mira Road, saying that being a landlord now feels like “a full time stress job instead of passive income.”In his post, Ankit said that he had invested around ₹80 lakh in a flat in Mumbai and rented it out, expecting stable returns. However, things took a stressful turn when the electricity office allegedly called him to warn that the tenant’s power connection could be disconnected because of unpaid bills worth around ₹7,000.Ankit said that the tenant argued that the electricity meter might be faulty and questioned how the bill could be so high. “I told him, you are using AC, induction, and multiple electric appliances daily, obviously the bill will come high. Then he again started saying, ‘We do not use that much electricity,’” he wrote.Ankit said that the incident made him question whether rental income is truly worth the stress. “Sometimes I genuinely feel it is better to sell the flat and invest those ₹80 lakhs into SWP or index funds,” he said, adding that such investments could offer returns without “tenant drama,” maintenance issues, or society-related stress.“People talk a lot about return on investment. Very few people talk about return on mental peace,” he added.(Also Read: ‘Landlord verbally abused and threatened me’: Bengaluru tenant seeks internet’s advice over deposit dispute)Social media reactionsAnkit’s post quickly went viral and drew mixed reactions online, with many landlords sharing similar experiences.One user wrote, “People calculate ROI in money, but rarely in peace of mind. Rental income looks passive on paper, but one bad tenant can turn it into a full-time mental burden. Sometimes stability and mental peace are the real returns investors should value more.”“Fully agree. Renting is not for normal folks. Only those with strong backhand and dirty hory can pull it effectively in cities. I have seen multiple accounts where ladies stayed for decades in houses while the owner fought legal battle in courts and eventually passed away,” commented another.“True Ankit, being a landlord is really stressful and not passive income at all. But you can clearly ask the tenant to pay the ₹7000 bill right now. If they don’t pay, they will disconnect the electricity after giving notice, then they will suffer without Electricity. Many landlords recover such bills from security deposit as per rental agreement,” wrote a third user.However, not everyone sided with Ankit. One user questioned whether the electricity bill was genuinely too high, writing that even with multiple appliances running at home, their monthly bill was much lower. “In your tweet you are ranting about being a bad landlord but did not talk about the complaint the tenant. I too have 3 AC + PC runnign 24 hours and several Electronic gadgets like Air Fryer, Microwave oven etc. Bill not more than 3500 while 1 AC is running 24 hours,” the user wrote.Responding to the criticism, Ankit clarified that he had already checked with the electricity office. “I already checked with the electricity office. They said the meter is working fine and usage is high from the tenant side. What exactly is my fault in this situation?” he wrote.“It’s so ture bro if you gave ur property on rent then it’s a big stress for you. I think if your property at good location then book it as air bnd its better than any other rental options. Investing in funds are also a very good option but it is also risky sometimes,” wrote one user.