Anoushka moved back to India from London. Then she went looking for a flat. Finding one was easy. The hard part was knowing who was really behind the listing.

That is why she built SheRents. It helps women find safe flats and flatmates, and it is based in Bengaluru. This is the first story in a new series on The FoundHers, a platform that shares the stories of women in business.

Who Is Anoushka

Anoushka is the founder of SheRents. She is 25 and based in Bengaluru. SheRents is India’s first verified platform for women looking for flats and flatmates. RealtorPro has also shared a post about SheRents on LinkedIn.

Anoushka has always pushed herself out of her comfort zone. She went to college in Sonipat at 18. She took a solo trip to Uganda at 21. Then she moved to London on her own and worked there.

Her family encouraged all of it. They gave her chances to try new things, even when it felt uncomfortable. That taught her that being uncomfortable is not always a bad thing. It also taught her that she can figure things out once she is in the situation.

She has even signed up for half marathons when she couldn’t yet run a 5K. Her rule is simple. Try it first, and learn from it. Don’t spend years wondering what would have happened.

Why She Built SheRents

Anoushka came back to India after living in London. That is when she saw how hard it was for women to find a home here.

Looking for a flat for rent meant using many different tools. She would search for a place on one platform. She would look for a flatmate somewhere else. Then she would chat with people on WhatsApp, Instagram, or random groups.

For a lot of women, the search starts with typing “girls PG near me” or “ladies PG near me” into Google. The results are long lists, and there is no easy way to check who is behind them.

So women had to work it out on their own. They had to decide whether a person was real. They also had to guess whether they would get along.

The more Anoushka looked at it, the more she felt there had to be a better way. Once she saw the problem, she couldn’t stop thinking about it. That is how SheRents started.

What Makes SheRents Different

SheRents is built around trust. It uses Aadhaar verification to verify people. It also matches women on compatibility. The idea is simple. Moving in with a stranger should feel less like a gamble.

Anoushka puts it clearly. Finding a home should be about more than finding an available room. You might live with the person you meet. So you should feel sure they are genuine. You should feel sure you are compatible. And you should feel safe.

Some people assume SheRents is just a broker for women. Anoushka sees it differently. Rooms for rent are easy to find online. The harder part is knowing whether the person behind a listing is genuine. That is the problem she is solving.

A list of PG for girls can show you an empty room. SheRents helps you check who you would be living with. In a rental market full of listings, that is the part women are missing.

Why This Matters For Women Moving Cities

Anoushka’s story is common. Many women move to a new city on their own.

Some move for college. Around 2.07 crore women were enrolled in higher education in India in 2021-22, according to the Ministry of Education. Some move for their first job. Both groups need the same thing. They need a safe place to live and someone they can trust to share it with.

Research points the same way. One study of women’s housing in India found that safe housing changed how women felt. 81% of residents rated their personal freedom as good or excellent. Women also felt more confident with money and more focused on their careers.

So renting a flat is about more than a roof. A safe home helps a woman settle into a new city with confidence. That is the space SheRents wants to fill.

Learning Tech By Building It

Anoushka is learning tech by building it. She did not start with a tech background. She started with a problem she believed was worth solving.

She says founder life looks more exciting on social media than it really is. Most days, she is doing something for the first time. She makes mistakes. Then she tries again.

She used to overthink every decision. She wanted to know she was right before she moved. Building a company changed that. Now she decides, sees what happens, and adjusts. She would rather be wrong quickly than stay stuck.

She has had moments where she wondered if she was out of her depth. Then she remembers that not knowing how to do something is different from being unable to do it. She learns. She finds people who know what she doesn’t.

SheRents sits in proptech, which is short for property technology. Most founders in that space are men. Anoushka actually likes that. She believes anyone can build something if they believe strongly in the problem. You can figure out the rest.

What She Is Most Proud Of

Anoushka is proudest of the community that has grown around SheRents. It started with women helping each other find flats and flatmates. But over time, it became much more than that. Women use the community to ask for recommendations for cooks and house helps, find places to buy furniture, or even figure out which water provider to go with after moving into a new home.

Women also share their experiences with brokers, so the next person knows what to expect.

For Anoushka, that is what makes the community special. Another woman just gets it. You don’t have to explain what it feels like to move to a new city and figure everything out on your own. SheRents has become a place where women can help each other feel a little more confident and independent. And women end up finding friends within the community! 

Her Playbook

Four rules from Anoushka’s playbook. Steal them, for whatever you’re building.

  • Build for the problem you can’t stop thinking about.
  • You can learn as you go. Don’t wait until you feel ready.
  • Make a decision, see what happens, and adjust. It beats overthinking.
  • Earn trust. Convenience gets people to try you once. Trust brings them back.

Follow Anoushka on Instagram and LinkedIn. Learn more about SheRents on Instagram and LinkedIn.

Look out for Anoushka’s Instagram series on @thefoundhers_. For more real stories of women in business, follow us there.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is SheRents?

SheRents is a platform that helps women find safe flats and flatmates in India. It uses Aadhaar verification and compatibility matching. Anoushka founded it.

2. How is SheRents different from a vague ‘girls PG near me’ search?

A search for girls PG near me or ladies PG near me gives you a list of rooms. SheRents goes a step further. It checks who people are and matches you on compatibility. You know who you would live with before you commit.

3. How does SheRents verify users?

SheRents uses Aadhaar-based identity checks. It also matches women on compatibility. This helps women feel sure that the person behind a listing or a flatmate profile is genuine before they move in.

4. Why do women need safer ways to find a flat for rent?

Many women move to a new city alone, for college or for a first job. Around 2.07 crore women were enrolled in higher education in India in 2021-22. One study of women’s housing found that 81% of residents rated their personal freedom as good or excellent. Safe housing helps women settle in and feel confident.

5. Who founded SheRents and where is it based?

Anoushka founded SheRents. It is based in Bengaluru. She started it after moving back to India from London. She saw how hard it was for women to find safe housing and flatmates.

6. What makes SheRents different from other flatmate and rental platforms?

Most flatmate and rental platforms show you listings. SheRents focuses on trust. It verifies identities with Aadhaar and matches women on compatibility.