Nearly 2,500 of the 5,000 paying guest accommodations identified in east Bengaluru are operating without a proper licence, sanctioned plan or fire-safety compliance, according to submissions made by the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) before the Karnataka High Court. The court has issued 81 directions for identifying, inspecting and regulating PGs across the city, with authorities warning that non-compliant establishments could be closed and, where necessary, demolished.
The GBA counsel told the court that notices were being issued to the identified establishments. The authority also plans to file caveats before the High Court and the jurisdictional civil courts, and to pass orders after giving the concerned owners and operators an opportunity of hearing. The process could result in the closure of PGs found to be operating illegally, the counsel said.
The directions were issued by Justice Suraj Govindaraj while hearing petitions filed by owners of paying guest accommodations. The interim order places the life, health, safety and dignity of occupants at the centre of regulation, while also recognising the interests of neighbouring residents and adjoining property owners.
Rather than treating licensing as a one-time administrative exercise, the court directed local authorities to establish a continuing system of identification, inspection, compliance and enforcement. Authorities must identify all PG accommodations and determine whether each has a valid licence. The court also said that the label used by an operator should not determine how the premises are regulated. Officials must examine the actual activity being carried out at the property.
The order assigns compliance responsibilities to the owner, operator and person managing the premises on a day-to-day basis. Where ownership and operation are divided between different parties, inspection records must identify the owner, lessee and operator. The operator will be responsible for daily compliance, including accommodating only the permitted number of people, maintaining functional security and CCTV systems, and ensuring fire, emergency, sanitation and hygiene arrangements.
Inspections must also establish whether the facility has a sanctioned building plan, whether construction conforms to that plan and whether the premises can legally be used as a PG. The court specifically directed authorities to examine unauthorised mezzanine floors, rooms on roofs and terraces, temporary partitions, parking areas converted into accommodation, balcony conversions, blocked staircases, alterations to load-bearing structures and excessive occupant concentration.
The directions place the responsibility for enforcement on both the establishments and the officials overseeing them. Justice Govindaraj said that if violations are found and concerned officers fail to act, those officers could be held personally liable for any untoward incident that follows.
The issue is particularly significant in east Bengaluru, where the technology corridor has generated sustained demand for shared and managed accommodation. The court’s directions address not only the legality of individual PG businesses but also the way residential buildings are being adapted for high-occupancy use, including through partitions, additional rooms and changes to common or service areas.
The matter is scheduled to be listed again on September 28 for further consideration. Until then, the GBA’s notices, inspections and hearings will determine which establishments can demonstrate compliance and which may face enforcement action.
