Appliance rental is gaining traction in Mumbai and Pune as professionals weigh monthly plans against high upfront ownership costs. Rentomojo’s draft red herring prospectus filed on March 27, 2026, cites this shift as a key driver of its growth.

The platform, which has operated since 2014, reported being the largest tech-driven full-stack D2C online rental platform in India by FY25 subscription revenue and live subscribers, according to the Redseer Report cited in the filing. It supports operations with an in-house team of 1,688 technicians, carpenters, and painters.

Rental Economics

The decision to rent rather than buy is driven by the mismatch between short-term housing leases and the long useful life of appliances. Furnishing a shared flat typically requires a refrigerator, washing machine, and air conditioner. Buying these outright involves a capital outlay of ₹50,000 to ₹80,000.

In contrast, rental plans offer flexible tenures ranging from three to 36 months, aligning with standard 11-month rental agreements. Key pricing points include:

What the Numbers Show

A clear divergence exists between the capital intensity of ownership and the operational flexibility of renting. While a mid-range 190-litre single-door refrigerator costs ₹12,000 to ₹20,000 to buy, it typically retains only 40% to 50% of its value at exit. This depreciation, combined with transport and reinstallation charges, makes the fixed monthly outflow of rental plans—such as the ₹392 washing machine plan in Mumbai—a cost-controlled alternative for households with tenure horizons under three years.

Market Dynamics

Uptake is concentrated in high-turnover areas such as Bandra, Powai, Lower Parel in Mumbai, and Hinjewadi, Baner in Pune. Search behavior indicates a recalculation of costs, with volume moving toward comparison-shaped queries for appliance rentals.

Ownership in shared tenancies carries hidden operational loads, including reimbursement disputes upon mid-lease exits and undefined servicing responsibilities. Rental platforms address these by providing delivery and professional installation within 48 to 72 hours, along with covered servicing and repair for the plan’s duration. Relocation within and outside each city is included in the subscription model.

Households across Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Noida and Bangalore are increasingly renting televisions and TV units instead of buying them, driven by high purchase costs and short tenures.

Rentomojo Private Limited reported that this shift is evident in its city catalogues, where television plans start at ₹499 a month and TV unit plans from ₹59 a month. This contrasts with a combined purchase cost of ₹25,000 to ₹60,000 for a display panel and cabinet.

Rental Economics vs Ownership

The demand is concentrated in high-churn rental neighbourhoods such as Dwarka and Saket in Delhi, Powai and Andheri in Mumbai, OMR and Velachery in Chennai, Sector 62 and Sector 137 in Noida, and Whitefield and Koramangala in Bangalore. In these areas, tenure horizons are often under three years, making the cost of buying and moving furniture punitive.

A mid-range 43-to-55 inch television lists between ₹25,000 and ₹35,000 on major e-commerce platforms in August 2026. A matching TV unit adds another ₹8,000 to ₹25,000. The effective net cost of ownership includes wall-mount installation, out-of-warranty repairs and reassembly at the next flat, which often exceeds the sticker price given the low resale value after two years.

Pricing and Service Structure

Rentomojo offers bundled monthly rental lines under ₹1,500 for the combined setup on a 36-month tenure. The catalogue spans 24, 32, 40, 43, 49 and 55-inch panels across the five metros.

Minimum tenure begins at three months and extends to 36, with longer tenures carrying lower monthly rent. The plan includes free installation, free repairs, annual maintenance and free relocation. The refundable security deposit is set at one month’s rent. Payment options include card, UPI and net banking.

Operational Scale

The service backbone relies on Rentomojo’s in-house team of 1,688 technicians, carpenters and painters across a 22-city network. According to the company’s March 2026 draft red herring prospectus, the platform serves 227,511 live subscribers. This team handles display-panel service calls, cabinet refitting after relocation and annual maintenance visits.

What the Numbers Show

The data highlights a clear divergence between asset depreciation cycles and household mobility. While a display panel depreciates rapidly on a product cycle, losing value fastest during the initial ownership period, renters convert this lumpy capital expenditure into a predictable operating expense. With a combined ownership outlay of up to ₹60,000 versus a monthly rental line starting at ₹499, the financial burden shifts from long-term asset retention to short-term usage rights, aligning with the two-to-three-year address change window common in top Indian metros.