Inside Delhi-NCR's PG boom: When homes turn into hostels

(AI image) In Delhi-NCR, the rising demand for paying guest accommodations, particularly in university and business areasNEW DELHI: Paying guest accommodation has become an integral part of Delhi-NCR's housing economy, particularly in neighbourhoods close to universities, business hubs and metro corridors. But as demand for affordable rooms grows, so does concern over buildings being converted into high-capacity PGs without adequate approvals, fire-safety measures or regard for sanctioned construction limits.In Noida's Mamura, Chhalera, Sadarpur and Rasoolpur Nawada villages, the transformation is particularly visible. Buildings that were permitted to have no more than two floors have, in several cases, grown to six, seven and even nine storeys, with rooms being offered to students and young professionals as paying guest accommodation, according to a recent ground report by The Times of India. Narrow lanes, closely packed buildings and overhead electricity cables leave little space for emergency vehicles, while many such buildings reportedly lack proper fire or emergency exits.The problem is not confined to Noida.In Gurgaon, authorities have been carrying out a sustained crackdown on unauthorised PGs, guest houses and commercial activity in residential colonies. A survey by the Haryana Shehri Vikas Pradhikaran identified 453 PGs and guest houses operating in residential sectors, while enforcement teams sealed 15 PGs comprising 476 rooms and three guest houses/hotels comprising 87 rooms in DLF Phase III during drives in June and July.When homes turn into high-capacity PGsThe scale of the business is even larger, according to the Gurgaon PG Association. The association has claimed that the city has more than 10,000 PG accommodations offering over 50,000 rooms, most of them operating from residential houses. It has also argued that Haryana currently lacks a specific policy governing long-term PG accommodation and has sought a separate regulatory framework for the sector.When a house becomes a hostelFor property owners, converting a residential building into a PG can offer a lucrative source of income. For tenants, particularly students and young professionals moving to Delhi-NCR for education or employment, PGs can provide a cheaper and more flexible alternative to renting an entire flat.That demand has helped create dense pockets of rental accommodation around employment and education centres.But the physical transformation of a house can be substantial.A property originally designed as a family home may be divided into dozens of rooms, with additional beds, kitchens and bathrooms added to accommodate more occupants. In some cases, parking and other common areas can also be converted for commercial use.Delhi's PG safety gap in numbersGurgaon's recent enforcement drives illustrate the scale of such conversions. Authorities have found residential properties being used as PGs and guest houses, along with illegal construction and commercial activity in areas where such use was not permitted. In one enforcement drive, a 36-room guest house and several PGs in Sushant Lok were sealed, while properties in South City-1 included buildings operating PGs with as many as 39 rooms.In another case, five PG buildings in Gurgaon's DLF Phase III were sealed after being raised to stilt-plus-five, with the additional floor alleged to be unauthorised. The action shut 225 rooms across the five buildings.The safety questionThe most serious concern is not simply whether a property is being used commercially. It is whether a building designed for a limited number of residents can safely accommodate several times that number.That question has acquired urgency following the September 6 collapse of a five-storey PG building in Delhi's Satya Niketan, in which seven people died.The Satya Niketan case also highlighted how a property originally meant for residential use can gradually acquire a completely different character. Police investigating the collapse found that the five-storey building had been operated as a PG, while investigators were examining its construction history and permissions.The issue therefore goes beyond the landlord-tenant relationship. A building with dozens of occupants needs safe exits, adequate electrical infrastructure, structural stability and access for emergency services. If those systems are absent, the consequences can extend far beyond a violation notice.A regulatory grey areaOne reason the PG economy has expanded rapidly is the gap between demand and regulation.The Gurgaon PG Association has argued that existing rules governing guest houses do not adequately cover long-term PG accommodation. It has proposed registration and regularisation of PGs operating on plots of at least 275 square yards and roads at least 12 metres wide, along with defined fire-safety requirements.The numbers behind Gurgaon's PG crackdownAt the same time, enforcement agencies have argued that residential properties cannot simply be converted into high-capacity commercial establishments without complying with planning and building regulations.This creates a difficult situation for tenants.When authorities seal a property, occupants may have little warning and can suddenly be forced to find another place to live. During Gurgaon's enforcement drive earlier this year, residents of affected PGs and guest houses were given time to make alternative arrangements after concerns were raised about people being displaced by sealing operations.For a student or young employee who has paid a deposit and several months' rent, the legality of the building may not always be obvious when signing a rental agreement.The infrastructure cost of the PG boomThere is another side to the issue: the pressure placed on neighbourhood infrastructure.A residential lane designed for a limited number of families can end up serving hundreds of occupants when several houses are converted into PGs. That can mean greater demand for water, electricity, sewage, waste collection and parking.In Gurgaon, residents have repeatedly raised concerns about the impact of commercial activity and high-density accommodation on residential neighbourhoods. Authorities have also cited unauthorised construction and commercial misuse as part of their broader enforcement campaign.In Noida's PG-heavy villages, the physical limitations are even more apparent. Narrow lanes between multi-storey buildings, closely spaced structures and dangling electricity cables can make access difficult for emergency vehicles. TOI's ground report also raised questions about the structural capacity of some buildings after finding columns that appeared thinner than the prescribed dimensions.The challenge for authorities is therefore two-fold: stop unsafe construction while ensuring that enforcement does not simply push the same demand into another neighbourhood.What happens next?The recent crackdowns suggest that Delhi-NCR's PG economy is moving from being treated primarily as a rental-market issue to becoming a question of urban planning, building safety and enforcement.Gurgaon's PG association is seeking a dedicated policy rather than blanket action, while authorities have continued identifying properties where residential buildings are allegedly being used for unauthorised commercial purposes. In Delhi, the scale of the MCD's survey has provided authorities with a clearer picture of the number of PGs operating across the Capital.The larger question is whether regulation can catch up with the speed at which homes are being converted into high-density accommodation.For Delhi-NCR's millions of students and young professionals, PGs are unlikely to disappear. The demand for affordable rooms near colleges, offices and transport hubs will remain.The challenge is ensuring that the search for an affordable bed does not come at the cost of a safe building.