Long Read
how to find an apartment in Dhaka without getting hustled like a used sari vendor
so you wanna live in Dhaka, huh? the air outside right now feels like someone left a wet wool sweater in a *New Market alley for three weeks. but hey, at least you’re just a rickshaw ride away from Narayanganj, where your cousin’s friend swears there’s a clandestine tea stall that sells illegal imported kombucha. here’s how not to get wrecked.
scouting the right hood
forget what your auntie said about Gulshan being 'safe.' yeah, sure, if you’ve got 50,000৳/month to burn on a shoebox that smells like expired turmeric. hit up Mohammadpur instead-it’s got that chaotic charm, like a thrift store run by a one-eyed uncle who knows all the gossip. This Reddit thread says 1-bedrooms there go for 15-25k, but always check if the bathroom door actually closes.
here’s the drunk advice i got from a dude named Rifat at Shatta Goli Bazar: 'landlords here will ask for 6 months’ rent upfront. laugh in their face.' according to Numbeo, average rent in Dhaka jumped 22% last year. always demand a written contract-even if it’s scribbled on a Star Kabab napkin. and never, ever wire money to someone’s cousin’s friend’s bKash account. Check this Facebook group for legit listings, but keep an eye out for photoshopped AC units.
haggle like you’re bargaining for a 1980s batik shirt at Chawkbazar. last week, i heard a guy in Dhanmondi got his security deposit halved by threatening to teach the landlord’s kid how to skateboard. pro tip: visit at night to test if the neighbors blast Arijit Singh tracks until 3AM. TripAdvisor forums say Purbachal*’s the new hotspot, but good luck finding a rickshaw driver who knows where it is.
something a local warned me about: 'if they say ‘utilities included,’ they’re lying. the power goes out more often than my ex’s promises.' stay sharp, wear sunscreen, and maybe learn to love the smell of wet concrete.
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