What you're looking at, and why to trust it.
RentLens turns short, anonymous resident reports into a median + range you can actually use. Here's how the data gets in, how we label its trustworthiness, and what we refuse to show.
Resident-reported. Not portal-scraped.
Every rent, maintenance, and deposit number on RentLens came from someone who actually lives — or recently lived — in that society. We don't ingest portal listings, we don't scrape brokers, and we don't accept owner submissions.
Each report is aggregated server-side. We publish the median and the range for the bucket — never the raw point estimate from any one resident. That's how a single high or low outlier can't move the headline, and how no individual flat can be reverse-engineered from the page.
Four tiers. One small dot.
Every aggregate carries a colored dot that tells you how much to trust it. Verification is progressive — we never hide a number behind a "verify or nothing" gate, but we always tell you what's underneath.
- Self-reported
The resident filled in numbers. We accepted them after a basic sanity check (range, locality match, no obvious broker tells). Shown for the bulk of fresh contributions.
- Partially verified
At least one signal lines up — e.g. corroborating reports for the same flat type, a contributor we've spoken with, or an email handle we recognize. Stronger than self-reported, lighter than verified.
- Verified source
The contributor sent in a redacted rent agreement, society maintenance bill, or similar. We keep the document private; only the verified label is public.
- Limited data
Not enough reports yet to publish a headline median. You'll see this where a society or filter bucket has fewer than the threshold — see section 03.
What we'll show — and what we won't.
Small samples lie loudly. RentLens stays quiet until the data earns the right to be loud.
No number. We show a "Limited data — contribute to unlock" placeholder instead of a misleading median.
Median only, no range. Labelled as early signal so you can tell it's directional, not definitive.
Median + range. Floor-band breakdowns appear only for bands that themselves clear the 3-report floor.
This applies per-filter, not per-society. A society with 40 reports might still show "limited data" on the 4+ BHK row simply because no one in that bucket has reported yet.
How "as of" works.
Each report is tagged with the month it describes. By default the headline median is the rolling last 12 months, and every card stamps the period explicitly so you're never guessing.
Reports older than 18 months get a Historical tag and stop counting toward the headline. They still show in deep-history views, but they can't drag a 2026 median back to 2023 pricing.
When a society has too few recent reports to clear the threshold, we don't backfill with old data to fake confidence — we show "limited data" and ask for fresh contributions.
What we refuse to show.
Aggregation is the point. The public surface of RentLens is built so a contributor can never be reverse-engineered from what's published.
- ×Exact flat numbers — we only ever show the floor band (1–3, 4–7, 8–12, 13+).
- ×Contributor identity — names, emails, and any personal handles stay server-side. Public display is always anonymous.
- ×Raw verification documents — agreements and bills sent for verification are never published, only the resulting label.
- ×Owner contact information — RentLens is not a listings site and will never broker an introduction without explicit two-sided consent.
- ×Deanonymizing agreement details — specific lease start/end dates, contract clauses, or anything that could narrow a report down to a single unit.
Full data-handling specifics live on the Privacy page.
What the labels mean.
Every society carries a provenance label so you always know where its numbers come from — and we upgrade it as real resident data arrives.
- Indicative
A starter estimate so the society isn't blank on day one. Not yet resident-reported — submit your rent and it's replaced with real data.
- Estimated
Aggregated from public listings (asking prices). Directional context — not what residents actually pay, and not resident-verified.
- Resident-reported
Built from residents' actual reports — the real thing. It also carries one of the four confidence labels above (self-reported → verified source) depending on how corroborated it is.
Common questions, plain answers.
Is this owner or broker data?+
No. Every number comes from a current or recent resident. We actively filter out anyone identifying as an owner, broker, or property manager — and a future watcher signup will require LinkedIn + employer verification to keep that side clean.
Do you verify every submission?+
No, and we don't pretend to. Verification is progressive — see the four-tier label above. Most reports start as self-reported and earn higher labels over time as we corroborate or as the contributor opts in to send a redacted agreement.
Can I contribute anonymously?+
Yes. Anonymous is the default. Email is optional and only used if you ticked "help future renters" or want a reply on your submission. We never publish any contributor identifier.
Will my exact flat be shown?+
No. Floor is bucketed into bands (1–3, 4–7, 8–12, 13+) and we never publish a unit number or wing. Even on a small society, two reports in the same band stay indistinguishable.
What if a society isn't listed?+
Submit anyway with the society name typed in. We'll add it during the review pass and your submission will attach to the new entry. No need to wait for us.
What about brokers using this for leads?+
We filter aggressively on submission, and watcher signup in v1.1 will require LinkedIn + employer verification before access. If you spot misuse, email us and we'll act.
Why don't I see numbers for my society?+
Almost always the sample-size threshold (section 03). Three reports unlocks a median, six unlocks the range. Contribute yours and the page lights up for the next renter.
Know what you pay?
Pay it forward.
Sixty seconds. Anonymous by default. Every report makes the next renter's search a little less blind.