Bengaluru PG crisis: Paying guest accommodations under Greater Bengaluru Authority’s radar, 10 units sealed
Bengaluru’s apex municipal body, the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), has intensified its crackdown on paying guest (PG) accommodations, sealing 10 units after inspections revealed unhygienic kitchen conditions and multiple safety lapses. The action followed a citywide inspection drive across Jayanagar, Bengaluru South, BTM Layout, and areas under the Bommanahalli constituency, the civic body said in a statement.
According to GBA, 66 PG accommodations were inspected to assess hygiene, availability of safe drinking water, kitchen cleanliness, proper toilet facilities, fire safety equipment, CCTV installation, and valid FSSAI certification for food preparation.
“Notices had been issued to the PG operators to rectify the deficiencies within seven days and comply with the prescribed norms to continue operations,” the statement said.
During the latest round of checks, fines totalling ₹22,500 were imposed on several establishments found to be violating basic health and safety standards.
Officials stated that as many as 10 PG facilities were sealed after their kitchens were found to be operating in unhygienic conditions, posing potential health risks to residents.
The corporation has indicated that further inspections will continue in the coming days and warned that strict action will be taken against PG operators who fail to meet mandatory safety and hygiene requirements.
Also Read: Bengaluru’s paying guest crisis: Why over 200 PGs have shut down, leaving owners with 20–30% losses
PG sector in Bengaluru needs to be regulated, say experts
Civic experts say that Bengaluru’s paying guest (PG) accommodation segment needs to be regulated as several illegal structures have mushroomed, with little to no action taken against builders despite repeated complaints and visible breaches of building norms.
Sandeep Anirudhan, a civic activist who works on issues such as encroachments and is a convenor of the Coalition for Water Security, said the situation has escalated to the point where violations in several PG buildings exceed 100 per cent of approved limits. “Despite the Supreme Court’s December 2025 order stating that illegal constructions cannot receive trade licenses, many PGs continue to operate without approvals. There is no demolition activity, and enforcement remains almost absent,” he said.
According to him, several neighbourhoods, including areas like Prashanth Layout in the eastern IT corridor of Whitefield, are witnessing tightly packed buildings constructed wall-to-wall, leaving little ventilation or open space. “Many PGs consist of small, cramped units with windows facing directly into adjacent structures, creating privacy concerns and lowering overall living conditions. These developments have triggered complaints from local residents about sewage overflow, public nuisance, loitering, and poor waste management,” he said.
Experts also point to a pattern of PG operators bypassing building regulations by collaborating with brokers to mass-market these properties to students, working professionals, and migrant workers. “In hubs like Whitefield, many PGs have nearly twice the sanctioned number of floors. The excessive occupancy puts enormous pressure on water supply networks, increases congestion, and overwhelms civic infrastructure,” Anirudhan said.
Also Read: Moving to Bengaluru? Here’s what to consider before choosing between coliving and standalone paying guest accommodation
PG operators begin tightening compliance as enforcement increases
PG operators are gradually recognising the need to comply with the city’s regulatory framework in Bengaluru, according to Sukhi Seo, secretary of the Bengaluru PG Owners’ Association.
She said that many owners, who earlier viewed PG operations as an informal business, are now beginning to acknowledge that they must meet standards related to fire safety, food safety, and basic building norms. This shift, she noted, is partly driven by growing enforcement pressure from the municipal bodies and partly by an understanding that non-compliance exposes both tenants and operators to significant risks.
Seo said that the association has actively engaged with the municipality officials over the past few years to highlight gaps in oversight and request clearer guidelines.
Bengaluru’s former civic body, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), introduced a new compliance framework for paying guest establishments in 2024 under Section 305 of the BBMP Act, 2020, to tighten oversight on safety, hygiene, and occupancy standards. A major change is the requirement for compulsory CCTV coverage. Every PG must install cameras at all access points and in shared zones to ensure basic security monitoring. Authorities have also specified minimum space norms, making it mandatory for each occupant to have at least 70 square feet of living area before a licence can be granted or renewed, according to experts.
Additional conditions had been set to regulate water usage and food services. PG operators must also supply a minimum of 135 litres of potable water per person per day, ensuring adequate availability in densely occupied buildings. If the property provides meals or allows cooking within the premises, the operator must obtain an FSSAI licence within three months of being issued a trade licence.
