Mumbai Real Estate: Celebrities and HNIs Invest in Homes for Their Staff
Anjali Tendulkar, wife of cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar, was recently in the news for purchasing an apartment in Virar, near Mumbai, for a member of her household staff. This trend is not unique to her; Gauri Khan, renowned interior designer and wife of Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan, has also leased an apartment in Pali Hill for her staff, close to the family’s temporary residence. Several prominent personalities and high-net-worth individuals have followed suit, purchasing or renting apartments for their domestic staff who oversee essential household tasks.
Anjali Tendulkar, wife of cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, was in the news in August 2025 for purchasing a ₹32 lakh apartment in Virar, near Mumbai, for a staff member. According to property registration documents accessed by Zapkey.com, the apartment was purchased in a building named Peninsula Heights in Virar. The 391-square-foot apartment is located on the third floor of the building. The transaction was registered on May 30, 2025, and it involved a stamp duty of ₹1.92 lakh and registration fees of ₹30,000.
As a woman homebuyer, Anjali Tendulkar availed a 1% concession on stamp duty. In Maharashtra, women homeowners are eligible for this benefit, with stamp duty rates in the state ranging between 5% and 7%, depending on the city and district.
Gauri Khan, renowned interior designer and wife of Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan, was in the news in June 2025, for renting a 2BHK apartment in Mumbai’s Khar West for their staff at a starting monthly rent of ₹1.35 lakh, according to documents accessed by Zapkey. The three-year leave and license agreement is for a flat located barely 100 metres from their rented home in Pali Hill, while their iconic Mannat bungalow undergoes renovation.
Located in Pali Hill, Pankaj Premises Cooperative Society Ltd, the apartment has a carpet area of 725 sq ft and includes a hall, kitchen, two bedrooms, and two washrooms. The lease allows residential use for her staff from April 10, 2025, to April 9, 2028. Gauri Khan has rented the flat just 100 metres away from their newly rented home in the Puja Casa building at Pali Hill.
The owner of a leading pharmaceutical company purchased a 1,000 sq ft apartment in Mumbai’s Bandra earlier this year for about ₹9 crore. According to a source, the building offers sea-facing residences, and the businessman already owns one such apartment there. To ensure that his domestic staff, including the cook and other support staff, could live nearby, he purchased an additional unit in the same building.
According to a developer who wished to remain anonymous, wealthy families are often willing to pay a premium to keep their staff nearby, ensuring convenience and continuity. In some cases, long-serving employees are even given apartments as a gesture of gratitude and appreciation for their loyalty upon retirement or upon completion of their service.
In the case of Bandra, where the apartment is valued at around ₹9 crore, it is unlikely that the homeowner would eventually gift the unit to a staff member. However, when the ticket size is below ₹1 crore, it’s not uncommon for high-net-worth (HNI) or ultra-high-net-worth individuals (UHNI) to transfer ownership to their staff. “Of course, this varies from person to person; not every such purchase is intended for gifting; sometimes it also serves as an investment for the HNI or UHNI,” the developer told HT Real Estate on condition of anonymity.
