A rent law from another era
Delhi's rent law only protects rents under ₹3,500 a month. A new one was passed in 1995 and never brought into force.
Petition open · Satya Niketan, Delhi
They came to Delhi to study.They died in their rooms.PG Regulation Act laao
A 50-year-old house was rented to students as a PG. Neighbours say it was already leaning. On 6 September 2026 it collapsed on the boys inside.
7 lakh+Students at Delhi University
~7,000Hostel seats
5Demands, in writing
A peaceful citizens' petition
Your number is never published
Delivered to five authorities, on the record
As reported, 7 September 2026
A house was rented out as a hostel. It fell.
Updated as the official count is confirmed.
6Dead
11Rescued
20–25Feared trapped
₹32kRent a month, single room
What happened
A 75-bed PG in a 50-year-old house.
The building in Satya Niketan, near DU South Campus, was about fifty years old. Someone turned it into a PG.
Last month
Students move in
The house near DU South Campus had been turned into a 75-bed PG.
Before
It was already leaning
Neighbours say the building was leaning. Repair work carried on anyway.
The rent
₹16,000 shared. ₹32,000 single.
That is what a room cost, every month.
The papers
No sign of any permission
No sign that permission was taken to use it as a hostel, or that anyone checked if it was safe.
6 Sep · 1:30 pm
It came down
On a Sunday afternoon. Over 50 rescue teams worked through the night.
Now
An FIR, under investigation
Police have filed an FIR against the owner, Hariram, and others — culpable homicide, negligence, endangering lives. These are charges, not verdicts.
Reported byThe TribuneThe PrintThe WeekOutlook IndiaIndia TVAaj Tak
Why this keeps happening
One hostel seat for every hundred students.
7 lakh+Students at Delhi University
~7,000Hostel seats
Each square is one DU student. One in a hundred gets a hostel seat.
Every student left out of that number is handed to a landlord who knows they have no other choice. That gap is the business.
No cap on deposits
The national Model Tenancy Act caps deposits at two months. Delhi has not adopted it.
No licence needed
Other states make PGs get a licence, a fire clearance and police verification first. Delhi does not.
The difference
PG चलेगा, मनमानी नहीं.
Honest landlords lose in this system too. Our demands are about the rules.
The PG today
- No licence, and no safety check anyone can see
- Deposits that are never returned
- Rent raised mid-session, without reason
- No agreement, no receipt
- 7,000 hostel seats for 7 lakh students
What the PG Regulation Act would do
- Every PG and every student registered and verified
- Rent, deposit and hidden charges regulated
- Fire safety, CCTV and basic facilities mandatory — or a ₹10 lakh penalty
- A written agreement and transparent rent and rules for every room a student lives in
- A dedicated authority to hear student complaints
हमारी 5 प्रमुख मांगें
PG Regulation Act लाओ.
Delhi में लाखों students PG में रहते हैं, पर PG के लिए कोई कानून नहीं. तो हमने खुद लिख दिया — पाँच धाराएँ, जो सरकार को पास करनी हैं.
Draft · Students की तरफ़ सेPG Regulation Act, 20265 धाराएँ · Delhi के हर student के लिए
हर PG, हर Student — Registered & Verified
आजकिसी को नहीं पता शहर में कितने PG हैं, कौन चला रहा है, और उनमें कौन रह रहा है.
Act के बादहर PG और हर student का mandatory registration और verification — एक public register पर, जिसे parents भी check कर सकें.
Rent, Deposit और Hidden Charges पर लगाम
आजमनमाना rent, बीच session में hike, deposit वापस नहीं — और बिजली-maintenance के नाम पर hidden charges.
Act के बादRent और security deposit regulated. हर charge पहले से लिखा हुआ — कोई hidden charge नहीं.
Fire Safety, CCTV और Basic Facilities — Mandatory
नियम तोड़ा तो ₹10 लाख जुर्मानाआजFire exit नहीं, CCTV नहीं, जर्जर building — और कोई पूछने वाला नहीं.
Act के बादहर PG के लिए fixed minimum standards: fire safety, CCTV, पानी, बिजली, हवा-रोशनी.
PG की नई Definition — जहाँ Student, वहाँ Act
आज“ये PG नहीं, flat है” — बस इतना कहकर landlords हर नियम से बच निकलते हैं.
Act के बादकोई भी room, flat, PG या hostel जिसमें student रहता है — सब PG Regulation Act के अंदर. Written agreement और transparent rent/rules अनिवार्य.
Students की अपनी Grievance & Complaint Authority
आजशिकायत करो तो कमरा खाली करने की धमकी. Police, MCD, landlord — सब एक-दूसरे पर टाल देते हैं.
Act के बादएक dedicated authority — जहाँ student सीधे complaint करे, तय समय में सुनवाई हो, और action हो.
PG चलेगा,मनमानी नहीं —PG Regulation Act लाओ!
Accountability
Where this petition goes.
When it closes, the petition and every signature on it will be formally submitted to:
- Chief Minister, Government of NCT of Delhi
- Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD)
- Vice-Chancellor, University of Delhi
- Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Government of India
- Lieutenant Governor of Delhi
Who is asking
Students, asking for rules.
Ronak Khatri has contested and served as President of the Delhi University Students' Union. PG Hatao Andolan is Team Ronak Khatri's petition for the students DU cannot house — for a PG Regulation Act, in writing.
For students • With students.
Need help?
We are here.
If you were in that building, or someone you love was, or you have been put out by a sealing notice this week — tell us what you need. A volunteer will call you back.
Read by the team only
Not published, not shared
We never ask for money
Need to talk to someone right now?
Don't wait for the form. Call or WhatsApp the team.
Common questions
Before you sign.
Does 'PG hatao' mean shutting every PG down?
No. PG चलेगा, मनमानी नहीं. It means no student should have to live in a PG that nobody checks. A PG Regulation Act would register every PG, regulate rent and deposits, make safety standards mandatory and give students an authority to complain to. Honest landlords lose in this system too — our demands are about the rules.
Isn't there already a rent law in Delhi?
Only for rents under ₹3,500 a month. A new law was passed in 1995 and never brought into force, and Delhi has not adopted the Model Tenancy Act. For a student paying ₹16,000, there is basically no rent law.
Why do you name the building's owner?
Because the FIR is public record, reported by every national newspaper. We say it once, as what it is: charges filed. The case is still being investigated and nothing has been proved.
I was affected. How do I get help?
Use the help form on this page and a volunteer will call you back. If it is urgent, call or WhatsApp the team on 98710 96437. We do not collect money.
Does signing cost anything?
No. Free, no account. Your name, city and phone is all we need, and your number is never published.
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