Heavy penalty proposed for those running these facilities without permission

The Urban Development Department has come out with the draft Karnataka Regulation of Boarding and Lodging Houses Rules, 2019, to regulate the functioning of paying guest accommodations and invited objections/suggestions for the same.

Minister for Urban Development U.T. Khader told reporters here on Wednesday that the rules were necessitated because of mushrooming PG accommodations across the State, particularly in urban areas. The rules seek to regulate them and make registration of such accommodations compulsory with the designated officer.

The rules are framed under provisions of the Karnataka Municipalities Act, 1964 and Karnataka Municipal Corporations Act, 1976. Objections and suggestions, if any, would have to be filed with the Principal Secretary, Urban Development Department, 4th Floor, Vikasa Soudha, Bengaluru-560001, within 30 days of the rules being published in the official gazette.

The government also wanted to hear from those operating PG accommodations. Their views, concerns and suggestions for improvement of the rules would be taken into consideration.

Mr. Khader said the rules were necessitated as different models of temporary accommodation were available throughout the State, especially in urban areas, as an affordable and accessible option for working individuals and students staying away from homes. The rules are framed to ensure safety, especially of women and students, and prescribe reasonable standards in the facilities.

The definition of ‘Boarding and Lodging Houses’ includes premises more than 2,000 sq. ft carpet area providing temporary accommodation for a certain period of time, with or without food, for payment on a daily, weekly or monthly basis and excludes hotels, government guesthouses, old-age homes, retirement homes, clubs, hostels within educational institutions’ premises as well as those exclusively managed by institutions for their students and recognised homestays.

Besides prescribing registration with fee, the rules also specify number of guests that could be accommodated on a premises, location of the premises, and other such things. The operator has to pay two times of the last payable property tax as registration fee and anyone found operating the facility without permission would have to pay a penalty 10 times of the last payable property tax.