Shifting to a New PG: A Simple Moving Checklist for Renters

If you are shifting to a new PG, start shortlisting well before your move date, book visits once your dates are clear, and give notice to your current PG exactly the way your agreement asks. A little planning gets you a better room, keeps your deposit safe and makes moving day far calmer.

Why people change PGs

There is usually a clear reason behind a move. You may have a new job or internship starting, a new semester, an office that has moved, or simply a room you have outgrown. Whatever the reason, good rooms in popular areas can go quickly, so it pays to start early rather than search in a rush.

When to start looking

• Well before your move date: shortlist PGs online and save the ones you like. On LSC you can add the date you want to move in, along with your budget.
• Once you have a shortlist: call or WhatsApp a few owners to ask about rent, deposit, food and house rules, and fix visit times that suit you.
• Before you pay: visit in person before you pay anything.
• Your move date: try to match it to the end of your current rent cycle, so you do not pay two rents for the same days.

Before shifting to a new PG: give notice the right way

Your current PG holds your deposit, so leave on good terms.

1. Read your agreement or house rules for the notice period and how notice has to be given.
2. Give notice in writing. A WhatsApp message works well if the owner replies to confirm it, so keep a screenshot.
3. Confirm your last day, the final rent and any bills you still owe.
4. Ask how and when your deposit will be returned, and to which account.
5. Fix a time for a room check with the owner or caretaker before you leave.

For what a clear agreement should cover, see our PG rent agreement checklist.

Booking visits without wasting days

• Keep your shortlist short: a handful of places that fit your budget and your commute.
• Group visits by area, so you can see several in one outing. If you work near the IT parks, for example, you might look in Hinjawadi in Pune or Gachibowli in Hyderabad.
• Visit once in the evening if you can, when residents are back and you can judge the noise and the street lighting.
• Take a friend along, and tell someone where you are going.

What to check at a visit

Photos tell you a lot, but not everything. On the visit:

• Check that the room matches the photos: bed, mattress, cupboard with a lock, desk and fan.
• Open the taps. Check the water pressure, the hot water and how clean the washroom is, and ask how many people share it.
• Test your mobile signal, and ask whether Wi-Fi is included and how well it works in the evening.
• Ask whether electricity is included in the rent or charged by meter, and what happens during power cuts.
• Ask about food: which meals, what times, and whether you can taste a plate.
• Ask about house rules: gate timing, visitors, laundry, cleaning and the notice period.
• Ask who has keys to the main door and the rooms, and whether the main door is locked at night.
• Talk to a current resident, ideally away from the owner.

Packing without the panic

• Declutter first. A move is a good excuse to give away clothes and books you no longer use.
• Pack a day bag with documents, chargers, medicines, toiletries, a towel, a bedsheet, a change of clothes and a padlock.
• Label boxes by where they go: bed, desk, kitchen shelf, washroom.
• Carry your laptop, documents and valuables yourself.
• Photograph your old room once it is empty and clean, as a record of how you left it.
• Book your tempo or cab early, because movers can get booked up, especially at weekends.

Move-in day checklist

1. Pay only after you have seen the room and agreed the terms in writing.
2. Get a receipt for the rent and the deposit.
3. Take photos or a short video of the room, including any damage, and send them to the owner the same day.
4. Note the meter reading if electricity is billed separately.
5. Check that the room door and cupboard lock work, and collect every key.
6. Share the ID documents the owner asks for, and ask how they will be kept.
7. Learn the routine: gate timing, meal times, and laundry and cleaning days.
8. Save the owner’s and caretaker’s contacts for emergencies.

How to find your next PG on LSC

Start on the PG search page and pick your city. Add your move-in date, budget, who the PG is for, room sharing and meals, then compare the rent and deposit shown for each bed. Searching and contacting PG owners on LSC is free, and LSC takes no brokerage on PGs. When a place looks right, tap Call or WhatsApp to speak to the owner and book your visit.

Cover photo: “Suitcase Overflowing When Packing” by Familydestinationsguide.com Images, CC BY 2.0, cropped, via Wikimedia Commons.