The proposed ‘Paying Guest Accommodation Regulation and Welfare Bill’ seeks to bring PG accommodations in major educational hubs such as Mukherjee Nagar, Laxmi Nagar, Rajendra Nagar and North Campus under a formal regulatory system.

Under the proposal, every PG operating in Delhi will have to be registered and obtain an operating license from the zoning authority within 90 days. The process will require no-objection certificates (NOCs) from the police, municipal corporation and local administration.

Each registered PG will be assigned a unique Paying Guest Registration Number (PGRN), while details of verified accommodations will be made available through a proposed single-window digital platform.

RENT REGULATION PROPOSED

The proposed bill also seeks to address complaints of arbitrary rents and excessive deposits.

A Rent Regulation Committee has been proposed to determine area-wise rent bands for PG accommodations. Operators would not be allowed to charge more than three months’ rent as a security deposit or take more than three months’ advance payment.

The proposal also calls for a mandatory 30-day notice period for tenants leaving a PG. Charging different rents on the basis of gender, caste, religion or state of origin would also be prohibited.

CCTVs, SECURITY GUARDS MANDATORY

Safety measures form another key part of the proposed framework.

CCTV cameras would be mandatory at all entrances and common areas of PGs, with footage required to be preserved for 30 days. PGs housing 15 or more students would have to deploy security guards at night.

The proposal also includes maintaining visitor registers and ensuring the availability of a warden within a 500-metre radius.

SINGLE PORTAL FOR VERIFIED PGs

The proposed GovPG portal would list verified PG accommodations and provide information on rent, amenities and security arrangements.

Students would also be able to file complaints anonymously through the portal. A compliance rating for individual PGs has also been proposed to help students assess accommodation before moving in.

COLLEGES, COACHING CENTRES TO HAVE ROLE

The proposal calls for an Institutional Accommodation Committee (IAC), comprising faculty members, student representatives, police and municipal officials.

The committees would inspect PG accommodations every quarter, while a 15-working-day deadline has been proposed for resolving disputes.

The framework also seeks to incentivise PG operators that maintain good compliance. Those demonstrating satisfactory compliance for two consecutive years could be eligible for property tax exemptions, easier access to loans and a “Certified Student-Friendly PG” badge.

The proposal also suggests seeking GST relief for compliant PG operators from the GST Council.

SAFETY CONCERNS BEHIND PROPOSAL

These include the 2024 basement incident in Old Rajendra Nagar, fire and safety violations reported in PGs in Mukherjee Nagar, as well as complaints involving sexual harassment, hidden cameras and arbitrary electricity charges.

The proposed framework aims to establish minimum safety standards, bring greater transparency to rental arrangements and create a formal grievance redressal mechanism for students living in PG accommodations.

However, the proposal also acknowledges challenges in bringing small and informal PG operators into the regulatory system, obtaining NOCs from multiple agencies, running a centralised portal and determining area-specific rent bands.

ABOUT SATYA NIKETAN BUILDING COLLAPSE

A five-storey building, housing a boys’ PG, came crashing down in Satya Niketan, a popular commercial hub near Delhi University’s South Campus, while repair work on the structure’s basement was underway.

A 27-hour rescue operation involving the NDRF, Delhi Police, fire services and other agencies ended on Monday evening, with 12 people pulled out. Seven died and five were injured.

The collapse has since triggered action against the building’s owners and operators, as well as scrutiny of construction and safety violations in the area.

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has begun demolition of buildings adjacent to the collapsed structure as a precautionary measure. Officials are using hammers to bring down the top floors, with the demolition being carried out in phases after the neighbouring structures were found to pose safety concerns.

Adjacent PGs had earlier been evacuated after cracks and structural instability were reported following the building collapse.