Gurugram Municipal Corporation has identified 1,625 illegal and unauthorised paying guest accommodations operating without required licences, registration or fire safety clearances, with officials warning that many are housing more occupants than the properties were designed to accommodate.
The identified properties are being operated from residential buildings originally intended for single-family use. According to officials, several have been converted into paying guest facilities without the necessary legal permissions or safety approvals. The properties have been placed in a special category on the Urban Local Bodies No Dues Certificate portal for further action.
The corporation has written to relevant agencies for immediate enforcement. A letter issued on October 1 was sent to the District Town and Country Planning department, the Haryana Urban Development Authority and the Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited.
The distribution of the identified properties reflects the overlapping regulatory responsibilities involved in Gurugram’s expanding paying guest market. Officials said 276 unauthorised PGs were located in areas under the Haryana Urban Development Authority, 492 in licensed colonies and 856 within the jurisdiction of the Gurugram Municipal Corporation.
Gurugram Municipal Corporation Additional Commissioner Yash Jaluka said the civic body would impose property tax penalties on the properties in accordance with the law. The relevant licensing authorities would take other appropriate action, he said. The corporation is also preparing a system through which residents can report illegal or overcrowded PGs in their neighbourhoods.
The action follows concerns over the conversion of residential properties into high-occupancy accommodation without corresponding changes to building safety arrangements. Officials said some of the properties were accommodating significantly more people than their intended capacity, increasing pressure on exits, electrical systems and other basic safety provisions.
Fire compliance is a central part of the enforcement drive. Under provisions cited in the report from the National Building Code and the Haryana Fire Service Act, buildings higher than 15 metres must obtain a fire No Objection Certificate and install equipment such as fire extinguishers, water pipelines, fire alarms, sprinklers and smoke detectors.
A separate fire department survey had identified 666 PGs operating without fire safety clearances or required equipment, according to a September report by Hindustan Times. Officials found expired fire extinguishers in some properties, while others had only one narrow exit route.
The latest civic action places the issue within a wider question of how urban housing demand is being absorbed in Gurugram’s residential areas. Paying guest accommodation has expanded through the conversion of existing homes, but the municipal findings indicate that licensing, occupancy and fire safety systems have not kept pace in all locations.
The next steps will involve property tax penalties by the municipal corporation, action by the relevant licensing authorities and the creation of a resident complaint mechanism. The report does not specify a deadline for completing these actions or the number of properties facing closure.
