A software engineer has sparked a heated online debate after advising young couples and bachelors to avoid buying apartments in large gated communities. Shravan Venkataraman, in a viral thread on X, argued that life inside many high-rise societies becomes frustrating because of overly controlling resident welfare associations (RWAs) dominated by older residents.
Venkataraman suggested that younger people are often better off living in smaller G+3 or G+4 buildings with fewer than 25 apartments, where rules are usually less intrusive and community life feels more relaxed. According to him, many large societies develop a culture where younger residents are constantly monitored or lectured on how they should live.
He claimed that some elderly RWA members expect unquestioned authority and become hostile when residents challenge arbitrary decisions. According to Venkataraman, these committees often try to regulate everything from visitors and complaints to daily lifestyle choices.
“Any slight inconvenience to their worldview being caused by anyone or any family in the society, they start imposing their views on how one should live in a home they are renting/owning in that society – who can come for a visit, who can’t, who can complain, who can’t, etc. And these old people who are also in charge of power – in RWA or society associations go on a power trip whenever anyone challenges them for an actual issue,” he wrote.
The discussion gained traction after he shared a personal experience from his housing society in Hyderabad. He said a theft had taken place at his home, and when he asked for CCTV footage in the residents’ WhatsApp group, he was informed that the cameras were not functioning. Concerned about security, he advised residents to install personal security cameras for safety.
Here’s the tweet:
If you’re a bachelor/young couple with kids, as much as possible avoid high rises and opt for G+3 G+4 type places with < 25 units houses.The old people in high rises (who also happen to be part of RWAs) are becoming mentally deranged and pretty insane at this point.
— Shravan Venkataraman (@theBuoyantMan) May 25, 2026
Instead of addressing the issue, Venkataraman alleged that senior RWA members called him to the clubhouse the next day and reprimanded him for raising the matter publicly. He claimed the conversation quickly turned confrontational, with some members accusing him of damaging the society’s image rather than focusing on the security lapse itself.
“Next day the president and vice president of rwa called me to the clubhouse. I went there thinking they were going to resolve my issue and they found who stole the items. Instead they call me and start shouting at me as to how i can post such complaints on the residents group and how i can post that there’s no security here and that one should look out for themselves – that I was ruining morale in the society,” he wrote.
He also recalled one committee member allegedly dismissing his complaint sarcastically, implying that the RWA could not investigate every missing household item. Frustrated by the exchange, Venkataraman said he confronted the group and later exited the residents’ WhatsApp chat.
“I mean what do these old men even think in their head? That they can order everyone around with arbitrary rules according to their convenience and everyone should follow it, and especially tenants?” he added.
His post resonated with many younger residents online, who shared similar experiences of excessive monitoring and micromanagement in gated societies. Several users complained about restrictions on visitors, scrutiny of bachelors, moral policing, and security guards profiling guests. Others said they often felt treated like outsiders despite paying high maintenance charges.
At the same time, many people defended RWAs and said sometimes strict rules are necessary to maintain order, safety and hygiene in densely populated societies. Some users said committees are often forced to impose tighter rules on apartment complexes due to noise complaints, irresponsible disposal of waste and late-night disturbances.