Lens on guest houses, serviced apartments across Salt Lake, Kolkata

November 8, 2022
0 Comments
Lens on guest houses, serviced apartments across Salt Lake, Kolkata

KOLKATA: There are many rented accommodations, including guest houses and serviced apartments, that have mushroomed across Salt Lake. These, however, have no clear records either with cops or with the civic authorities as to who stay there.

Residents of the township said there should be proper supervision of these rented accommodations, including information on who stay there, and whether the owners have trade licence and permission to operate.

“It should be regularly checked who is coming to stay in these rented accommodations. Many such rented accommodations have mushroomed across the township and it is also to be seen whether they have permission to operate,” said Sarat Mullick, the Bidhannagar Welfare Association secretary.

“The characteristics of Salt Lake is such that often we do not know who is coming to stay as tenants in our neighbours’ houses. Apart from supervision by the authorities concerned, those running such rented accommodations should also properly check their tenants’ backgrounds,” said Krishna Chakraborty, an elderly resident of IA Block.

Police said that according to the norms, guest houses must provide the details of people who are staying. In case of serviced apartments, the same norm should be followed.

Some guest house or serviced apartment owners in Salt Lake TOI spoke to said it is standard procedure to provide all details of persons coming to stay on rent to the police. “Whoever comes to stay needs to provide all his or her details. The details are forwarded online to the police within 24 hours,” said Tanmoy Mukherjee, who has been running a guest house in Salt Lake since 2017.

As for the operational part of such rented accommodations, BMC officials said there was no figure available with the civic body about how many houses were operating without trade licence. Officials said there have also been reports of many such rented accommodations being run in residential plots without converting the lease deed.

“A guest house can operate in residential plots in Salt Lake only after it is approved by the state urban development department following conversion of the lease deed for using the plot or said building for commercial purpose,” said a civic official.

Leave a Comment