PG rules and regulations: a ready list for your PG

Most arguments in a PG start with a rule nobody wrote down: the gate time, a friend staying over, a heater in the room, or what comes off the deposit. Clear house rules, signed when the tenant moves in and put up on the notice board, prevent most of them.

Below is a ready set of rules you can adapt. Download it as a PDF to print, or make your own in a few minutes.

What the law asks, and what is up to you

There is no single government rule book for the house rules of a PG. What the law asks of an owner is mostly about the building and the paperwork: reporting every tenant to the police, a written leave and licence agreement, and the registration and safety rules of your local body where they apply. Some cities have issued guidelines for PGs on safety and hygiene, so check with your municipal corporation.

The house rules themselves (timings, visitors, food, cleanliness) are yours to set, as long as they are fair, the same for everyone, and agreed before the tenant moves in.

A sample set of PG rules

1. Timings

• The gate closes at 10:30 pm. If you will be back later, tell the warden beforehand.
• Staying out for the night? Tell the warden before you leave, and when you will be back.
• Quiet hours are from 10:30 pm to 7:00 am: keep voices, calls and music low.

2. Visitors

• Visitors may stay in the common area until 8:00 pm, not in rooms.
• Every visitor signs in at the gate with their name and phone number.
• Overnight guests are not allowed.

3. Not allowed

• Smoking anywhere in the building, alcohol, drugs of any kind, and gambling.
• Cooking in rooms, and heaters, irons, kettles or induction plates in rooms.
• Candles, incense or anything with an open flame.
• Nails, tape or posters on the walls; loud music; pets.

4. Rooms and cleanliness

• Rooms are cleaned once a week. Keep your things off the floor on that day.
• Put waste in the bins, and leave bathrooms and common areas clean after use.
• Dry wet clothes on the terrace or balcony, not in the room.

5. Electricity and water

• Switch off lights, fans, AC and geysers when you leave the room.
• Use water carefully, and tell the warden about leaking taps.

6. Safety and your things

• Lock your room and cupboard when you go out, and keep money and valuables locked away.
• Damage to rooms, furniture or fittings is charged at the cost of the repair. A lost key is replaced for ₹200.
• Tell the warden straight away about anything broken or unsafe.

7. Rent and deposit

• Rent is due by the 5th of every month. Paying late costs ₹100 a day, up to ₹1,000.
• The security deposit is two months’ rent. It is refunded within 7 days of leaving, after pending dues and any damage, and is not adjusted against monthly rent.

8. Leaving

• Give 30 days’ notice before leaving. Leaving within 3 months of joining costs one month’s rent.
• Before you leave, the room is checked against its condition at move-in, and every key is returned.

9. If a rule is broken

• First a warning, then a written warning, then a fine of ₹500. If it goes on, you will be asked to leave with 30 days’ notice.
• Drugs, violence, theft or harassing anyone means leaving at once, without the notice period.

Five things that make house rules work

1. Keep the poster short. Ten or twelve lines on the notice board get read; four pages do not. Keep the full rules in the registration file.
2. Write the amounts down. A late fee, a lost key, a fine: a number agreed in advance is rarely argued about.
3. Warn before you fine. A warning, then a written warning, then a fine feels fair, and tenants accept it.
4. Get them signed at registration. Give the tenant a copy, and keep the signed one in their file.
5. Keep them matching your agreement. The rent day, deposit, notice and lock-in in your rules must say the same as the agreement.

General information to help you write your own rules, not legal advice.