Pune to Launch Citywide Survey of Unauthorized Student Accommodations, Draft Rules in the Offing
Pune’s civic authority moves to map unregistered PGs and hostels, plan new regulations — aiming to tackle overcrowding, safety & nuisance complaints.
Pune|06 December 2025: Pune’s civic agency has decided to carry out a comprehensive survey of all student accommodations and paying-guest (PG) facilities across the city, following a rise in public complaints about illegal and poorly regulated hostels. The decision — taken at a recent meeting chaired by a senior municipal commissioner — aims to identify clusters of unregistered PGs, hostels and “student living” arrangements operating in violation of norms, particularly in society parking lots, basements and other unauthorized zones.
The move comes after local residents in several areas raised concerns over overcrowding, harassment, disruption, noise and general nuisance, often tied to large numbers of young occupants living in makeshift accommodation. Under the new plan, the civic agency will team up with multiple departments — including the encroachment department, ward offices and security teams — and will also coordinate with income-tax authorities and police to cross-verify records of PG operators, tenants and property-usage. A follow-up review meeting has been scheduled in the coming days to assess the progress of the survey and plan enforcement action.
Among the key priorities: immediate action against unauthorized PG facilities operating in residential society parking lots, stricter scrutiny of commercial complexes converted illegally into hostels or student lodgings, and regulation of late-night commercial establishments near student-dense clusters. Officials have warned of strict penalties for violators and assured residents that safety, hygiene and compliance would be top priorities.
This initiative reflects broader concerns over the rapid rise of informal student accommodations in Pune — a city that attracts large numbers of students from across Maharashtra and beyond, drawn by coaching institutes, colleges, and competitive-exam centres. For many of these students, unregistered PGs offered affordable lodging; but unregulated growth has frequently resulted in overcrowding, unsafe living conditions, and disturbances to neighbouring residents.
Parallel to the survey, the civic agency is reportedly drafting a set of tailored regulations for study-hostels, PGs, and student accommodations. These draft rules may specify requirements around licensing, sanitation, occupancy limits, safety standards, landlord/tenant documentation, and usage permits — aiming to regularise the sector while balancing the housing needs of students with community safety and urban management priorities.
As this process unfolds, thousands of existing PG operators, landlords, and students in Pune may have to register formally, meet compliance criteria, or face eviction or penalties. For city residents living near such hostels, the move is being welcomed as a step toward restoring order, reducing nuisance, and ensuring transparent property use. For students and landlords, it signals the start of a regulated regime — one that might raise standards of accommodation, even if it could restrict availability or increase costs in the short term.
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