The Delhi building fall on Sunday has once again raised worries about structural safety, unauthorized construction and the condition of older residential buildings in the national capital. For persons living in paying guest (PG) housing, the episode is also a warning that examining rent, location and facilities may not be enough before moving into a place.
According to real estate professionals, tenants should also examine whether the building itself is legally allowed and structurally safe. Before signing an agreement, renters should do a basic PG safety check addressing both structural and legal red flags. This becomes particularly significant in older buildings like Mumbai and Delhi, where unapproved modifications, excessive occupancy and aged structures can present safety issues.
Here are 7 items you need to consider while conducting PG safety audit: Structural versus Legal Red Flags
1) Unsanctioned vertical expansions
Experts stated a newly created top floor, terrace room or mezzanine should not automatically be deemed to be legal. Tenants should examine the actual number of floors with the sanctioned building plan and completion/occupancy documentation.
In Mumbai, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) maintains building-plan and development-permission systems, although certified copies of sanctioned plans, IOD, commencement and occupation certificates can also be acquired from the local Building Proposal office. In Delhi, the MCD building-approval system gives access to sanctioned-plan and completion-cum-occupancy processes.
2) Basement excavation and moisture seepage
Fresh excavation, exposed foundations, persistent dampness, water accumulation, large fractures or plaster falling from ceilings should be treated as warning indicators. A tenant should not attempt to determine structural safety just by glancing at paints. If fractures are broad or increasing, doors and windows suddenly jam, floors appear uneven or reinforcement is visible, tenants should query about the structural stability report of the building with the PG landlord.
3) Occupancy certificate or Fire NOC
Experts advised residents should seek the PG landlord for the Occupancy/Completion Certificate and appropriate fire-safety clearance. “In Delhi, fire certification regulations apply to specific types, such as residential structures above 15 meters or ground-plus-four additional storeys, whereas hotels and guest houses above 12 meters or ground-plus-three upper storeys are treated separately. In Mumbai, high-rise and unusual buildings require fire-department certification before an occupancy certificate is issued, Madhur Ramkrishna, a Mumbai-based architect stated.
4) Overcrowding and closed emergency exits
A PG with too many beds, barred staircases, obstructed corridors, improvised rooms or grills restricting escapes. Fire safety is not only about having extinguishers, escape routes must stay functional and usable realistically, Ramkrishna stated.
5) Building older than the structural-audit threshold
Mumbai requires buildings in use for more than 30 years to have them inspected by a competent structural engineer under Section 353B of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act. In Delhi, after March 21, 2001 require a structural audit after 30 years, but high-rise buildings of 15 metres or higher sanctioned before that date are subject to statutory structural-safety audit requirements. “Tenants should carefully verify whether the top floor stated in the sanctioned construction plan matches the floor produced on site. An additional story or terrace structure may be illegal even if it has electricity or property-tax records. Tenants should acquire the sanctioned plan, OC and appropriate safety clearances,” said Ashish Sawant, Mumbai-based architect.
Student housing possibilities
Industry estimates place demand for student-living accommodation at roughly 12 million beds, whereas organised co-living inventory stands at only about 300,000 beds, according to Colliers. Organized inventory might rise to about one million beds by 2030, as operators strive to harness demand from the millions of students who relocate away from home every year for higher education.
