When Maria Bilal returned to Delhi in November after a three-month work sabbatical, she encountered a city that suddenly felt foreign and unwelcoming. The communications professional, who had built her life in the capital over 13 years, found herself unable to secure rental housing despite having strong professional credentials and previous government work experience.
The Invisible Wall: Rental Discrimination Exposed
Maria landed in Delhi on November 11, just one day after the terror attack near Red Fort executed by radicalized doctors from Jammu and Kashmir. This timing proved crucial in shaping her housing search experience. She contacted multiple brokers who showed her properties in Lajpat Nagar, Jangpura, Vivek Vihar, and Noida, but each potential agreement collapsed at the final stage.
Brokers consistently returned with the same message: homeowners refused to rent to a Kashmiri Muslim. Maria provided her professional credentials and highlighted her work with the central government, hoping to build trust with prospective landlords. "But they just could not let go of their doubts," the 36-year-old professional recalled.
A Widespread Pattern of Exclusion
Maria's experience reflects a broader trend affecting Kashmiri Muslims in Delhi-NCR following recent security incidents. She worked with three different brokers, with one particularly embarrassed about having to deliver the discriminatory rejection. After numerous rejections, Maria recognized the pattern immediately.
The discrimination became so pronounced that Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah intervened publicly, reminding citizens that actions of "a handful of people should not define the vast majority of peace-loving residents of J&K." In a statement last week, Abdullah emphasized that "not every Kashmiri is on the side of terrorists" and that only a small minority had attempted to disturb peace and harmony.
The Ripple Effect on Professionals
Omar Peerzada, a management consultant working in Gurgaon, confirmed that Muslims already faced challenges renting in Delhi-NCR, but the situation has deteriorated further. After struggling with house-hunting in Delhi, Peerzada moved to an upscale Gurgaon society where residents didn't focus on his religion.
However, economic pressures now force him to consider more affordable options. "I thought I could shift somewhere cheaper but people don't want to give their houses to Kashmiri Muslim tenants," he explained. His searches in Noida and Ghaziabad encountered various RWA rules that effectively blocked his applications, with restrictions ranging from rejecting single men to prohibiting meat-eaters.
Property professionals acknowledge the troubling trend. Neeraj Sahgal, a Delhi property dealer, admitted that some individuals face greater difficulties securing housing. "Even I have faced issues with prospective tenants getting rejected because the owner does not want to give their house to a Muslim," Sahgal stated, while noting that not all homeowners consider religion in their decisions.
A Jangpura-based broker revealed that discrimination against Kashmiri Muslim tenants existed even before the November 10 security incident. Surprisingly, even some Kashmiri homeowners hesitate to rent to fellow Kashmiris they don't know personally, with male applicants facing particular challenges.
Entrepreneur Sadiq Mir described his own three-month housing search in Delhi during 2023, eventually finding accommodation only through family connections. He characterized the experience as "such an alienating feeling," echoing Maria's sentiment about the city that once felt like home.
Despite eventually finding one potential house, the owner demanded Rs 20,000 above market rate, making the arrangement financially unviable. Maria has now returned to Srinagar, hoping her departure from Delhi remains temporary since her professional life and connections remain in the capital.
