Gurugram Municipal Corporation has identified 1,625 illegal and unauthorised paying guest accommodations operating without proper licences, registration or fire-safety clearances, with multiple agencies being asked to take action against the properties.
Officials said the paying guest facilities were being run from residential buildings originally designed for single-family occupancy. Several of the properties were found to be housing more people than their intended capacity, while operating without the approvals required for conversion into paying guest accommodation.
The properties have been placed in a special category on the Urban Local Bodies No Dues Certificate portal following the corporation’s assessment. The classification is intended to identify the properties for enforcement and related municipal action.
According to the report, 276 of the flagged paying guest facilities fall within Haryana Urban Development Authority areas, 492 are located in licensed colonies and 856 are within the jurisdiction of the Gurugram Municipal Corporation. The corporation has written to the District Town and Country Planning department, Haryana Urban Development Authority and Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited for immediate action.
Gurugram Municipal Corporation Additional Commissioner Yash Jaluka said the civic body would impose property tax penalties in accordance with the law. He added that the relevant licensing authorities would take other appropriate action against the properties under their respective jurisdictions.
The corporation also plans to create a system through which residents can report illegal or overcrowded paying guest facilities in their neighbourhoods. The proposed complaint mechanism would give residents a formal channel to flag properties where unauthorised conversions or excessive occupancy may be creating safety concerns.
Fire safety is a central issue in the enforcement drive. Rules under the National Building Code and the Haryana Fire Service Act require buildings taller than 15 metres to obtain a fire safety no-objection certificate and install equipment such as fire extinguishers, water pipelines, fire alarms, sprinklers and smoke detectors.
The report also cited a survey by the fire department that had identified 666 paying guest facilities operating without fire-safety clearances or the required equipment. Officials found expired fire extinguishers in several facilities, while some buildings had only one narrow exit route, according to an earlier report by Hindustan Times.
The latest action brings municipal taxation, land-use regulation, licensing and fire safety into the same enforcement process. The next steps will depend on action by the civic corporation and the other agencies that received the October 1 letter, including penalties, licensing measures and enforcement against properties found to be operating without the required approvals.
