A Chennai man’s hunt for a rental flat has reignited debate over food-based discrimination in urban housing after he shared a landlord’s rejection citing his non-vegetarian status. The incident has sparked divided reactions online, with some calling it veiled casteism and others defending the owner’s right to choose.
Prashanth Rangaswamy, a resident searching for flats in Chennai, shared a screenshot of a conversation with a prospective landlord who turned him away. The message read: “Sorry sir. Looking at veg families only.”
Rangaswamy captioned his now-viral post on X: “Eating non-veg is injurious to finding flats for rent in Chennai.” He later added, “Full convo – they are directly referring to caste. I said I will completely avoid non-veg inside the house. Their concern is not me eating non-veg. Their concern is about the caste.”
The conversation thread showed Rangaswamy assuring the landlord that he would not cook meat in the house and that he was “95% veg.” Despite this, the rejection came hours later.
The issue has polarised social media users. One user wrote: “I’ve been a vegetarian almost all my life. I lived in Europe surrounded by meat eaters and never had an issue. But here, these restrictions feel ridiculous.”
Another argued that such preferences are a matter of comfort: “I’ve known vegetarians who genuinely feel sick around the smell of meat. If it’s about comfort, maybe it makes sense, to them, at least.”
However, some supported the landlord’s decision. “His house, his rules. Buy your own and rent it to whoever you want,” one user stated. Another added, “I’m non-vegetarian, and I’ve never had an issue finding a place in Chennai. Cook meat, drink occasionally, still found good homes. It’s not always this hard.”
Rangaswamy has since posted a follow-up appeal: “In need of a ‘non veg’ apartment in and around Vadapalani, Saligramam, Kodambakkam, Ashok Nagar. If you have one—please DM.”
In Indian metros, it’s not uncommon for rental rejections to hinge on dietary habits, marital status, religion, or even pet ownership.
