01At a glance
Key facts at a glance
The figures families ask us for first. Each one is explained in its chapter.
- Where you are moving
- Mumbai, India's financial capital on the Arabian Sea.
- Security deposit
- Three months' rent is standard in Mumbai.
- Standard lease
- 24 to 36-month leave and license (the usual Indian lease) with a 12-month lock-in. Registration is mandatory in Maharashtra whatever the term.
- Move-in report
- Your move-in record is made in move.report and reaches you within 24 hours of check-in. You can comment on it for 24 hours from when you receive it. See a sample report.
02Watch Out
What to watch out for
These are the things Mumbai won't tell you upfront, but every experienced intra-India relocator eventually learns. Know them before you arrive.
Cost shock is real
Every expense category in Mumbai runs 50-79% above Hyderabad and Bangalore. Housing, dining, school fees, groceries, healthcare, the premium compounds across every line item. Build a Mumbai-specific monthly budget before you accept your offer. Cost-of-living adjustments are rarely sufficient for premium neighbourhoods. Negotiate with data.
Peak hour traffic severity
Even if you have lived in Delhi or Bangalore, Mumbai peak hour traffic is a different category. Bandra-Worli can take 90 to 120 minutes. The Western Express Highway from Bandra to the airport is gridlocked 7-10am and 6-9pm. Choose your neighbourhood and commute strategy before you sign the Leave & License agreement.
Monsoon flooding · annual
Matunga, Dadar, Sion, and parts of Kurla flood every single monsoon season, not occasionally, but predictably. Research any property's flood history before committing. Avoid ground-floor units in these localities. The city council (BMC) publishes a list of flood-prone areas, so check it.
Lease rules differ
Mumbai leases typically run 24 to 36 months with a 12-month lock-in, longer than the 11-month norm common in Bangalore and Hyderabad. Mumbai rentals are formalised as a registered Leave & License agreement, registration is mandatory in Maharashtra, whatever the term. The 3-month security deposit, 5-10% annual escalation, and semi-furnished standard are all specific to Mumbai. Never accept verbal agreements, insist on a stamped and registered Leave & License agreement before paying any deposit. IKAN reviews all Leave & License agreements.
School applications · Mumbai specific
CBSE transfers within Mumbai are straightforward. But premium ICSE and IB schools like Cathedral, Bombay Scottish, and Dhirubhai Ambani have waitlists that can run 6 to 12 months for the best cohorts. Apply before your move date is confirmed, not after arrival. IKAN can advise on realistic current waitlist scenarios.
Building age · check before signing
Mumbai has thousands of buildings that predate modern construction standards. BMC maintains a public list of dangerous buildings. Always check the age and structural status of any building before committing. Prefer new developments registered with RERA (the state property regulator) or existing societies with audited maintenance records. IKAN's property advisors will flag this proactively.
03Common Questions
Common questions
The questions families ask us most, answered from this guide.
How much security deposit do landlords in Mumbai ask for?
Three months' rent is standard in Mumbai. Your IKAN consultant negotiates it and gets the figure in writing before you sign.
What is the standard lease length in Mumbai?
A leave and license of 24 to 36 months, with a 12-month lock-in. In Maharashtra it must be registered, whatever its length. Three IKAN reviewers check every clause before the lease reaches you.
Which are the best neighbourhoods in Mumbai for a relocating family or professional?
This guide profiles 6 areas, and families ask us most about four of them. Bandra West is known as the queen of Mumbai's suburbs. Powai is a lakeside township. Chembur is central and very well connected. Goregaon is a western suburb with good value for families. The Where to live chapter helps you match a shortlist to your budget and commute.
How does the IKAN move-in inspection work?
On check-in day your consultant photographs every meter, key and fixture. The record is made in move.report and reaches you within 24 hours. You can comment on it for 24 hours from when you receive it, and then it is locked as your move-in baseline. That baseline is what protects your deposit at move-out.
04Mumbai Essentials
Staff, budget, safety and places of worship
The things families moving within India always ask about: household staff, a realistic monthly budget, women's safety and where to worship. IKAN helps with each on the ground.
Household Staff
Hiring & Verifying Help
- How to hire: most families find a cook, maid, nanny or driver through their housing-society network and building WhatsApp group, word-of-mouth referrals, or established placement agencies; vetted platforms such as Urban Company cover one-off cleaning and repairs.
- Police verification of staff is separate from registering your own address with the local thana. For regular or live-in staff, submit a domestic-help verification form with the worker's photo, Aadhaar/ID and a reference at your local police station (several Mumbai jurisdictions also accept it online). Many societies require it before issuing an entry pass.
- Terms: agree hours, duties, the weekly off, paid leave and the customary Diwali bonus in writing.
- Salaries vary widely by role, hours, live-in vs live-out and locality, IKAN can share current Mumbai benchmarks and help with contracts and verification.
Women's Safety
Getting Around Confidently
Mumbai is widely regarded as one of India's safer large cities for women, including after dark, though normal big-city precautions still apply. Use the women-only compartments on local trains, prefer app cabs with live trip-sharing at night, and save the Women Helpline 1091 and the all-in-one emergency number 112.1091112
Places of Worship
Faith in a Plural City
Mumbai is religiously diverse, with somewhere to worship for almost every faith: Hindu temples (Siddhivinayak, Mahalakshmi, ISKCON Juhu), mosques and dargahs (Haji Ali, Jama Masjid), churches (Mount Mary Basilica in Bandra, Afghan Church, St Thomas Cathedral), gurdwaras, Jain temples, Parsi fire temples (agiaries), the Keneseth Eliyahoo synagogue, and Buddhist viharas. Most welcome respectful visitors, dress modestly and check timings.
Sample Monthly Budget · Indicative
| Category | Indicative / Month (family of 4) | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Housing, furnished 3BHK (area-dependent) | ₹50k to 3.5L | Rent ranges in this guide |
| Groceries & household | ₹15,000 to 22,000 | Cost-of-living guide above |
| Schooling (CBSE/ICSE, per child) | ₹12,500 to 42,000 | ₹1.5L to 5L/year ÷ 12 |
| Local transport | ₹300 to 500 rail pass + ride-hailing fares | Cost-of-living guide above |
| Utilities, cooking gas, domestic help, dining & leisure | Variable, request a current quote | · |
Read this as indicative, not a quote. The figures are drawn from the cost and rent tables elsewhere in this guide; schooling is shown per child and is usually the biggest swing factor alongside neighbourhood. IKAN can prepare a tailored Mumbai budget for your move.
05Go Deeper · IKAN India Essentials
Step by step guides for the paperwork
Each step in this guide has a matching IKAN India Essentials guide. It goes through the forms one by one, and it is the pack your consultant works from. Start with these five.
Renting Your Home
The Leave & License playbook: deposits, clauses and registration.
Read the guide
Lease Registration & Stamp Duty
When a lease must be registered, what stamp duty costs and the Sub-Registrar step-by-step.
Read the guide
Rent & the TDS Rule
When higher rents make you, the tenant, deduct and deposit tax on the landlord's behalf.
Read the guide
Schools & Admissions
Curricula, timelines and the admissions paperwork, board by board.
Read the guide
Healthcare in India
Hospitals, insurance networks, pharmacies and everyday care.
Read the guide
Already moving with IKAN?
Your homes, dates and papers are in i-Navigate, IKAN's app for families. It opens with the email address your IKAN consultant has for you, then sends you a six digit code.
Open your move Not moving with IKAN yet? Write to relo@ikan.com and a consultant will reply.