Registering a homestay in Karnataka under the 2025 guidelines

Karnataka's revised guidelines treat a homestay as a lived-in home with a few rooms for guests. Coorg and Chikkamagaluru plantation houses fit; a rented flat in Bengaluru does not.

Karnataka has long been known for plantation homestays in Kodagu and Chikkamagaluru. The Department of Tourism's Guidelines for Registration of Homestay Establishments, revised in 2025, set out clearly what counts as a homestay and how registration works. They describe the aim as giving tourists an authentic experience of local culture, traditions and food.

The definition

A homestay is a privately owned residence, including one on a farm or plantation, where the owner or immediate family (spouse or children) physically resides, and which lets out at least one room (two beds) and at most six rooms (12 beds). Three consequences follow:

• Only the owner, or the spouse or children, can apply.
• A rented, leased or sub-let residence cannot be registered as a homestay.
• No dormitories or bunk beds, and no more than 12 adult guests.

Applying

The online application goes to the Deputy Commissioner of the revenue district, through the Department of Tourism's portal. The Deputy Commissioner chairs the approval committee. The documents listed include:

• Aadhaar of the applicant;
• proof of ownership — title deed, RTC or khata;
• photographs of the applicant and the owner, and proof of relationship where the applicant is a family member;
• proof of residence;
• photographs of the property.

The registration and renewal fee is non-refundable and set "as notified by the Government"; confirm the current amount on the portal.

Timeline and validity

The guidelines give the authority 45 working days from submission. After that, deemed approval applies. A registration is valid for five years from the date of issue and can be renewed for similar periods.

Running the homestay

• Breakfast must be provided.
• CCTV at the reception area, with footage kept for 30 days.
• A guest register with identity or passport details.
• The registration certificate on display, plus feedback and complaint registers.
• Form-III (formerly Form C) for each foreign guest within 24 hours, on indianfrro.gov.in.

Penalties

The guidelines provide for a fine not exceeding ₹50,000 for a first offence of falsely claiming registration, and up to ₹1,00,000 (₹1 lakh) for a second or later offence.

What about Bengaluru apartments?

The guidelines speak of privately owned residences where the family lives. They do not create a route for a professionally managed, owner-absent apartment. If that is your plan, ask the Department of Tourism and your local authority which category, if any, applies, and get the answer in writing.

Plantation and farm homestays

The definition expressly includes a residence on a farm or plantation, which is why coffee estates around Madikeri, Virajpet and Chikkamagaluru fit the scheme well. The same conditions apply there: the owner or immediate family lives in the house, the guest rooms stay within six, and breakfast is served. If estate workers' quarters or separate cottages are part of your plan, check with the approval committee whether they count as part of the registered residence before you list them.

Renewal and changes

Five years is a long validity, but note the date. Renewal follows the same portal, and the fee is again non-refundable. If ownership changes, for example through inheritance, the new owner should apply in his or her own name rather than rely on the old certificate.

Where Hexuvium fits

In Karnataka the family is the host and the registration stays in the owner's name. We can work alongside you under a management mandate: listings, rate management, guest messages, housekeeping support and Form-III, so that the family can focus on the welcome and the breakfast.