Curation Team
NOIDA: Short-term rentals in high-rise residential societies have come under scrutiny following a spate of complaints about loud parties, drug use, and unauthorised commercial activity.
Officials say properties listed on online booking platforms are being used as unregistered guesthouses and party venues, often in violation of housing and excise norms.
At a recent Narco Coordination Centre (NCORD) meeting, DM Manish Verma directed police, excise officials and other agencies to investigate these properties.
“We need to examine the legality of such rentals,” Verma said. “If someone is letting out a flat for a day or two, it must comply with the Sarai Act. If liquor is being served, the flat owner must also have a home bar licence under UP excise rules.”
The Sarai Act, 1867, aims to standardise and regulate the operations of sarais or guesthouses, ensuring they are maintained properly and provide basic amenities to travellers. The Act outlines penalties for violations of its provisions, including fines and potential disqualification for owners.
While platforms like Airbnb allow flexible stays, officials say the absence of regulation has allowed some units to become hotspots for disruptive gatherings and, in some cases, illegal drug use.
Excise officer Subodh Kumar, who was present at the meeting, said many flat owners and brokers are letting out properties on a daily or weekly basis without any oversight. “These flats are technically residential but are functioning like mini hotels or party spots. This is not just a violation of housing regulations but also a potential threat to law and order,” Kumar said.
A multi-agency team will now survey residential societies where such listings are common and submit a detailed report to the district administration.
Officials told TOI that short-term rentals were mostly operating out of studio apartments in under-construction residential societies without residents welfare association and apartment owners associations, making it difficult for them to track such activities.
Typically, these are furnished flats with WI-FI and parking facilities, and charge anywhere between Rs 3,000 and Rs 5,000 a night. Currently, there is no formal regulatory framework for such rentals.
Lack of hotels and guesthouses, especially near business and industrial hubs, makes these short-term rentals attractive to people visiting the city for work.
The average rent of studio apartments in Noida ranges from Rs 35,000 to Rs 45,000 per month and from Rs 15,000 to Rs 20,000 in Greater Noida.
Rajiva Singh, president of the Noida Federation of Apartment Owners’ Associations (NOFAA), said no residential society in Noida with a functioning RWA or AOA currently allows short-term rentals. “There was one society in Sector 137 where studio apartments were being rented out on Airbnb a couple of years ago, but that was stopped once the AOA was elected,” he said.
Singh raised concerns over security. “If new people are coming and going every night, who takes responsibility for the area’s safety? Unlike tenants, daily visitors aren’t subject to police verification,” he added.
The DM also called drug abuse in youths a matter of concern. “Drug addiction is not just misleading youth, it’s weakening the social fabric. Every department must work together to stop it,” he said during the meeting.
He also stressed the importance of awareness campaigns involving schools, colleges, hostels, PGs, and RWAs. Surprise inspections will be carried out, and institutions will need to submit affidavits declaring their campuses drug-free.
The administration is also planning to publicly recognise educational institutes that actively keep their spaces clean of drug activity.
