Inside Delhi-NCR's PG boom: When homes turn into hostels
The rapid growth of unauthorized paying guest (PG) accommodations in Delhi-NCR has raised significant safety and regulatory concerns. Authorities are cracking down on buildings that violate fire safety codes and construction limits to house students and professionals.
Why it matters
It highlights the tension between urban housing demand and the need for municipal safety enforcement in rapidly expanding Indian cities.
NEW 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.
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