Delhi is preparing a proposed regulatory framework for paying guest (PG) accommodations after a five-storey PG building collapsed in Satya Niketan on September 6, killing seven people, including five students and two labourers.
The proposed rules seek to bring Delhi’s largely informal PG sector under mandatory registration and licensing, with police verification, structural and fire-safety clearances, CCTV, security requirements and a public verification portal. The framework also proposes area-wise rent bands, a cap of three months on security deposits and advance rent, and a 30-day notice period before eviction.
The move comes as concerns over student housing deepen: the MCD surveyed 1,252 PG buildings between September 7 and 9, while another PG in Chirag Delhi was evacuated after a major crack appeared in the building. Education Minister Ashish Sood said the government had already been working on the issue but the Satya Niketan tragedy had “forced” it to expedite the process.
Students and housing stakeholders have broadly sought safer, more transparent accommodation, while officials are also exploring additional hostel capacity. The proposed framework is still being finalised, making enforcement the crucial test of whether the changes will improve safety on the ground.
What The Rules Propose
The proposed Paying Guest Accommodation Regulation and Welfare Bill, 2026 aims to bring thousands of private PGs into a formal regulatory system. Under the draft, every PG would have to obtain a licence from the municipal zonal authority, police clearance and structural and fire-safety approvals.
Each establishment would receive a unique registration number and be listed on a proposed government portal, allowing students to verify whether their accommodation is registered and access information about its facilities, capacity and rent. The portal is also expected to provide a mechanism for students to file complaints anonymously and track their status.
The draft proposes that PGs housing more than 15 students have a night-time security guard, while all registered PGs would need functional CCTV cameras at entrances and common areas, with recordings retained for at least 30 days. A designated warden would also have to remain within 500 metres and be available to respond to emergencies within 15 minutes.
The financial terms of student accommodation could also change. The government is considering area-wise rent bands and a three-month ceiling on security deposits and advance rent, potentially limiting the scope for arbitrary demands from operators. The draft also proposes a 30-day written notice before eviction, except in cases involving documented misconduct.
Colleges, universities and registered coaching institutes could be required to form Institutional Accommodation Committees comprising faculty members, student representatives, municipal officials and a police liaison officer. The intention, according to the draft, is to address not only safety but also arbitrary rents, poor living conditions and the absence of an effective grievance mechanism. The proposal estimates that around two lakh PG rooms are currently operating across Delhi without formal documentation with government authorities.
Why This Matters Now
The proposed framework follows the collapse of a five-storey boys’ PG in Satya Niketan, near Delhi University’s South Campus, earlier this month. Seven people, including five students and two labourers, died in the incident, prompting scrutiny of construction practices, structural safety and the monitoring of buildings being used as student accommodation.
The tragedy has also triggered wider enforcement action. The MCD surveyed 1,252 PG buildings between September 7 and 9; officials identified three buildings as dangerous and nine requiring major repairs, while 26 framed structures above four floors were separately marked for closer monitoring.
The concerns were reinforced on September 10 when another PG in Chirag Delhi developed a large crack and part of a wall fell, forcing students to evacuate. Students were moved to a convention hall at Delhi University’s Shaheed Bhagat Singh College for temporary shelter.
Some students told reporters that they had previously noticed cracks, leakage and other structural problems at the property. The government has also begun looking at longer-term alternatives, including using vacant government properties for student accommodation, while Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu has directed the Delhi Development Authority to identify land parcels that could support safer and more affordable PG facilities. Separately, the Delhi High Court has issued notice on a plea seeking time-bound expansion of hostel facilities for students.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
For thousands of students who come to Delhi for education, a PG is not simply a commercial arrangement; it is their home, often chosen under financial and geographic constraints. The Satya Niketan tragedy has exposed how dangerous it can be when essential housing operates without consistent visibility, inspections and accountability.
Regulation can be an important step, but a registration number or government portal cannot by itself make a building structurally safe. The proposed framework will matter only if authorities have the capacity and willingness to inspect properties regularly, act on complaints, coordinate across agencies and hold negligent operators accountable before a crisis occurs.
At the same time, students need realistic alternatives, including affordable and adequately supervised hostels, so that safety does not become a luxury reserved for those who can pay more. As Delhi works towards finalising the rules, the larger question is: can the city build a student-housing system where safety is guaranteed before tragedy strikes, rather than promised after it?
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