Rent for a three-bedroom apartment in a posh building in Mumbai’s Andheri district was Rs 77,000 monthly in 2021; however, as the city’s historic building rehabilitation project gained momentum, the monthly rent increased to Rs 1.14 lakh in 2023. The city now has more redeveloped homes accessible, so monthly rents are approximately Rs 1.18 lakh. 

The number of redevelopment projects in Mumbai has increased, adding to the city’s rental growth in recent years. The redevelopment of several old buildings needed short-term rentals, but finding them in the same location was hard because there was not much of it. Real estate brokers and consultants claim that in 2024, this growth appears to have slowed down. 

“After growing by nearly 50-60% in the last two years between 2021-2023 – rental growth across premium gated societies in Mumbai has cooled down to 5-9% in 2024,” data shared by Zapkey.com research indicates. 

“An increase in society redevelopment was the primary driver of Mumbai’s massive rental growth in 2021-2023. In these societies, property owners were forced to rent short-term housing. The market’s mismatch between supply and demand caused rents to soar due to a rise in demand for rental properties. Demand was higher for premium gated societies,” said Sandeep Reddy, co-founder of Zapkey.com. 

Given that the number of new redevelopment projects has slowed down and more new projects are being completed, which has increased the supply of upscale gated communities, Reddy continued, that the growth in rental income in 2024 is expected to be benign and in line with inflation. 

The impact on western suburbs’ rents 

The slowdown in rental growth has affected neighborhoods like Borivali, Malad, Goregaon, and Kandivali. In 2021 and 2023, the monthly rent for a 2BHK apartment in a posh building in Borivali was Rs 39,000 and Rs 58,000, respectively. According to research data shared by Zapkey.com, 2 BHK apartments in the same building are available for rent in 2024 for Rs 65,000. 

In 2021, a 3 BHK apartment in Malad East, close to the Metro station and the Western Express Highway, was for rent at Rs 55,000. The monthly rental fee rose to Rs 85,000 in 2023 and Rs 87,000 in 2024. 

Similarly, a large number of buildings in the Matunga neighborhood of Central Mumbai were slated for renovation in 2021, Due to these approaching or having already offered possession, the market’s supply has expanded. 

“It all began in 2021 with a 50% reduction in premiums. There were more redevelopment projects as a result of this. A mismatch between supply and demand caused rentals to skyrocket as a result. In 2021, there was a greater demand and a restricted supply for rental apartments. 

However, in 2024, the buildings which began being renovated in 2021 are now being turned over piecemeal. Monthly rents have become more reasonable due to the increase in the supply of new housing, according to Harshul Salva, managing partner of M Realty, which operates in the Matunga neighborhood of Central Mumbai. 

The demand for rental housing in western suburbs in 2024 differs from that of 2021, 2022, or 2023. According to Dhiren Doshi, a property consultant based in Mumbai’s Borivali, older buildings that underwent renovation three years ago have now approached possession in neighborhoods like Shimpoli in Borivali West, close to Milap Talkies, and SV Road in Kandivali West. 

As a result, people in the neighborhoods have begun to serve notices to the owners of the rented apartments, asking them to leave. Due to the correction of the demand ratio, this is causing an excess supply to enter the market where demand is different from before. As a result, prices are gradually stabilizing and in certain cases, even declining Doshi continued. 

Why has the Mumbai real estate market seen an increase in redevelopment activity? 

Mumbai has over ten thousand crumbling, ancient buildings. The Maharashtra government announced in 2021 that various premiums paid by developers to the authorities would be waived in full, which provided impetus for the redevelopment of these historic buildings. 

However, developers willing to pay the remaining 50% of the premium upfront could only participate in this program. 

How do you define premium? 

The term “premium” describes the various fees the approving authority imposes. These comprise, among other things, the fungible premium, the premium paid for the floor space index (FSI), the open space deficiency premium paid for more land covered for construction, and the premium for lobbies, lift wells, and staircases. 

Developers in the Mumbai market pay the authorities more than 20 different kinds of premiums. Sectoral estimates place the amount developers pay for premiums at between thirty and thirty-five percent of the project cost.