Before speaking to users, I mapped the landscape:

• India's urban rental market serves ~10 million PG residents annually, concentrated in Bangalore, Pune, Delhi NCR, Hyderabad, and Mumbai

• PG search typically takes 2–5 weeks and involves 5–10 physical visits

• Key trigger points: college admission, job change, city relocation

• 67% of users rely on word-of-mouth as their primary discovery method (secondary research finding)

• Existing apps have an average rating of 3.2–3.8 on the Play Store — indicating unmet user expectations.

Key Research Insights

Insight 1 — Trust is the primary barrier, not discovery. Every user could find PGs online. The problem was never finding options — it was believing them. Fake photos, inflated descriptions, and hidden charges were universally mentioned.

Insight 2 — Physical visits are the only trusted verification method. In the absence of a reliable digital equivalent, users default to expensive, time-consuming physical visits. Virtual tours or photo verification that users trust could eliminate 60-70% of these visits.

Insight 3 — Food quality is a surprisingly decisive factor. Multiple users ranked food above location when comparing similar PGs. This is a high-frequency, high-impact touchpoint that current platforms barely surface.

Insight 4 — Community validation reduces anxiety. Users consistently mentioned seeking opinions from friends, colleagues, and locals before deciding. A feature that connects prospective tenants with current residents could replicate this social proof digitally.

Insight 5 — Filters on existing apps are inadequate. Users want to filter by parking availability, food type, gender, room type, deposit amount, proximity to specific landmarks (offices, colleges), and amenities. Current platforms offer basic filters at best.

Insight 6 — Users fear being locked into bad decisions. The anxiety of committing to a 6-12 month PG stay based on limited information causes decision paralysis. Flexible tenure options and transparent house rules reduce this anxiety.