The Department of Town and Country Planning (DTCP) enforcement wing’s aggressive crackdown on illegal paying-guest (PG) accommodations in DLF Phase 3 is rippling far beyond the structures it has shuttered. With 20 properties already sealed and over 300 under scrutiny across DLF colonies, the sudden displacement of residents has triggered a sharp surge in rental demand, leaving house-hunters struggling with inflated prices and deep uncertainty.
House-hunters in adjoining areas like U-Block say landlords have raised rents steeply, sensing a sudden surge in demand. In some cases, monthly rates have nearly doubled, jumping from Rs 25,000 to Rs 40,000 overnight. Riya Tomar, a software engineer who relocated to the city, had finalised a room for Rs 25,000, only to be told days before her move-in that the rate had been revised to Rs 40,000.
“I was shocked to be told, at the eleventh hour, that the rent for the same category of housing had been revised," Tomar said. “It’s not just about finding a new room; it’s the audacity of landlords exploiting a crisis to hike prices by nearly 60%, while those of us who have already paid deposits are left with no way to recover our money."
The disruption has left residents of “legal" PGs in a state of limbo. Tenants report that owners have stopped responding to calls, leaving them uncertain about whether their own buildings might be next. Meanwhile, those in sealed properties face the worst of it, unable to retrieve security deposits or personal belongings trapped behind locked doors. With owners unreachable, many displaced residents have been left to fend for themselves at short notice.
Frustrated by the lack of redress, affected tenants have taken to social media, tagging district authorities and urging the administration to step in to curb the rent surge and facilitate the recovery of belongings.
The enforcement drive targets properties violating building norms, specifically those exceeding the sanctioned stilt-plus-four limit. The action is led by the office of the District Town Planner (Enforcement), which has already sealed high-density complexes, including those near Nathupur Road that housed over 100 rooms.
Enforcement officials maintain that the drive is a necessary intervention against hazardous, high-density structures. However, residents argue that the human cost — sudden displacement and spiralling rents — falls on professionals who had no role in the violations. As the drive continues, tenants are demanding a formal grievance mechanism to ensure refunds and protection against opportunistic rent hikes in surrounding sectors.
