Delhi bed & breakfast registration: a scheme in transition

Delhi is rewriting its rules. The 2007 Bed and Breakfast Act was repealed by the Assembly in August 2026, and the new policy was not yet final when we last checked — so owners need to know both regimes.

For almost two decades, hosting paying guests in a Delhi home meant one route: registration under the National Capital Territory of Delhi (Incredible India) Bed and Breakfast Establishments (Registration and Regulation) Act, 2007, with the Department of Tourism. That route is now closing, and a new one is being drawn. Here is where things stand, and what we advise Delhi owners to do in the meantime.

What changed in August 2026

On 11 August 2026 the Delhi Assembly unanimously passed the Delhi Bed and Breakfast Establishment (Repeal) Bill, 2026. According to reporting on the debate, establishments already registered will not face disruption, and applications or registrations that were pending are to be kept on hold until the new policy takes effect, then processed under it. The government says the replacement is a comprehensive B&B policy awaiting approval by the Council of Ministers.

The old scheme, for reference

• Residence: the owner, or a person authorised by the owner to manage it, had to physically reside in the premises.
• Size: up to six rooms and 12 beds, in premises used only for residential purposes.
• Fees: ₹5,000 for the Gold category and ₹3,000 for Silver, paid online or by demand draft.
• Procedure: an online application with all mandatory documents; the physical inspection took place only once the file was complete, and the department set itself 30 days to dispose of applications.
• Validity: certificates were issued for two years.

What the draft policy proposes

The draft Bed and Breakfast Policy published in May 2026 for public comment would allow up to eight rooms and 16 beds, with Gold rooms of at least 120 sq ft and Silver rooms of at least 100 sq ft. It proposes online registration based on self-certification with deemed approval within seven working days, police verification, guest records, fire extinguishers, smoke detectors and first-aid kits, and CCTV in entrances or common areas. Restaurants, bars and banquet use would be excluded, and only lawfully built residential property would qualify.

Press reports disagree on whether the final text will keep a residence condition for the owner's family. Until the policy is notified, nobody can tell you for certain, and we will not guess.

What owners should do now

• If you already hold a certificate, keep it, and check its expiry date with the Department of Tourism.
• If your application was pending, ask the department for written confirmation of its status.
• If you are planning a new B&B, prepare the file — title or rent agreement, identity documents, fire safety, photographs — so you can apply as soon as the policy opens.
• For a lodging-house style operation, Airbnb's Delhi guidance points to the Delhi Police Licensing Unit rather than the tourism department.

Rules that apply whatever happens

Foreign guests, including OCI cardholders, must be reported through Form-III (formerly Form C) on indianfrro.gov.in within 24 hours of arrival, under the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025. GST on rooms follows national rules: 5% without input credit up to ₹7,500 a night, 18% above.

Our position in Delhi

Delhi's model has always been the resident host who opens spare rooms to guests. We do not offer whole-apartment management in Delhi while the new framework is unsettled. What we can do is support a resident owner — listing, pricing, guest messages, Form-III — with the registration in the owner's own name, once the policy is notified.