Demand on rise,PGs make guests pay

“Expenses have gone up,so we had to raise the rent. We usually don’t do it in the middle of the year,but what can you do when there is a huge increase in electricity rates?” he asked.

As families prefer PG accommodations as they come with a security assurance,the North and South Campus areas are littered with such facilities. These places — located in Kamla Nagar and Jawahar Nagar — are more like hostels,with round-the-clock security and facilities such as Internet connections. These facilities,however,do not come cheap.

An A/c three-seater room at Manik Niwas,a PG in Jawahar Nagar near North Campus,costs Rs 10,000 a month — laundry,housekeeping and food costs included. A large two-seater costs Rs 12,000 a month while a small two-seater comes at Rs 11,000. A P Singh,one of the owners,says competition is stiff with many new PGs opening this year. While most PGs offer only vegetarian food,he provides non-vegetarian fare to his tenants.

A neighbouring PG accommodation charges Rs 14,000 for a two-seater A/c room,with laundry charges extra.

At Nivedita,another PG in Jawahar Nagar,rates have been hiked by Rs 1,000 for existing tenants and by Rs 1,500 for new entrants. Kanu Priya,a DU student says she will be moving out of Nivedita soon. While the facilities are good,she finds the restrictions as well as the increased rent irksome. “We are not allowed to order non-vegetarian food,we can’t go out if we’re wearing shorts. It really isn’t worth it,now that the rates have also been increased,” she says.

While she paid Rs 8,500 per month for a three-seater non-A/c room last year,it has now become Rs 9,500. Laundry and Internet fees have to be paid for separately.

Most paying guest accommodations charge one or two months’ rent as security deposit,which is returned only at the end of 11 months. This dissuades students from leaving the accommodation before that.

In South Campus,PG facilities are concentrated in areas such as Satya Niketan,where two and three-storied buildings have been converted into structures that can accommodate nearly 10 persons per floor. Most of them can accommodate 20 to 30 students,with one or two bathrooms per floor and — at times — a common kitchen.

Unlike their counterparts near North Campus,most facilities here do not provide food.

PG facilities have become a necessity,with the shortage of hostels in Delhi University. Very few colleges,such as Sri Venkateswara College and Lady Shri Ram College for Women in South Campus,have hostels — but even they cannot accommodate all their students. Boys,who do worry as much about security issues,have the option of sharing a flat with friends.

“Almost 40 per cent of buildings in this locality (Satya Niketan) offer PG accommodations and more are starting every year,” the property agent said.

“If a building owner rents out a floor of his 900 square-feet flat to a family,he can charge around Rs 15,000 to Rs 18,000 as rent. But if he gets it converted into a PG facility,he can rent it out to 10 girls for Rs 4,000 each and take home Rs 40,000 a month. It is a profitable business,and there is no regulation of any sort,” he said.