West Bengal homestay guide

Practical property and application checklist
Reviewed 5 September 2026

### Starting facts
- [ ] Exact property address
- [ ] District
- [ ] Gram Panchayat/municipality/municipal corporation/KMC/other jurisdiction
- [ ] Existing/proposed/under-construction/running property
- [ ] Coastal/forest/protected/heritage status checked
- [ ] Current use of building
- [ ] Any unrelated commercial use in same unit
### Ownership and applicant file
- [ ] Legal owner identified
- [ ] Ownership document
- [ ] Joint/co-owner status identified
- [ ] Succession/inheritance issues resolved
- [ ] Proposed registered applicant identified
- [ ] Owner or qualifying family member who will reside identified
- [ ] Residence evidence prepared
- [ ] Company/LLP/lease/operator structure separately flagged if applicable
- [ ] Written DM clarification obtained where structure is not the standard resident-owner model
### Property readiness
- [ ] 1–6 guest rooms
- [ ] No more than 12 guest beds
- [ ] Double rooms ≥120 sq ft
- [ ] Single rooms conservatively designed ≥120 sq ft pending clarification
- [ ] Bathrooms ≥30 sq ft
- [ ] Attached guest toilets
- [ ] Adequate ventilation
- [ ] Required bedding/storage/lighting/electrical points
- [ ] Dining area
- [ ] Kitchen compliant with checklist
- [ ] 24-hour hot/cold water
- [ ] Wet/dry waste segregation
- [ ] Telephone arrangement
- [ ] Notice-board location planned
- [ ] Building sanction/use checked independently
- [ ] Fire applicability checked
- [ ] Local trade-licence question checked
- [ ] Access/location plan prepared
### Application
- [ ] Current Annexure A downloaded from official portal
- [ ] Application completed
- [ ] Ownership proof attached
- [ ] Location plan attached; access from major road shown
- [ ] Previous registration certificate attached where relevant
- [ ] Documents duplicated
- [ ] Correct Gold/Silver fee confirmed with DM
- [ ] DD prepared in correct payee format
- [ ] Submission acknowledgment retained
### Inspection
- [ ] Annexure B scoring reviewed
- [ ] Annexure C checklist reviewed room by room
- [ ] 100/120-sq-ft single-room issue resolved if relevant
- [ ] Amenities functional on inspection day
- [ ] Hygiene/sanitation ready
- [ ] Owner/family physical residence demonstrable
- [ ] Classification recommendation retained
- [ ] Differential fee paid if upgraded
- [ ] DM-led police-verification process tracked
- [ ] Written refusal/query retained if not approved
### Operations
- [ ] Registration/classification certificate displayed
- [ ] Check-in/check-out information displayed
- [ ] Dining closing time displayed
- [ ] Guest guidelines/prohibitions displayed
- [ ] Suggestions/Complaints Book maintained
- [ ] Tourist Registration Book maintained
- [ ] Numbered duplicate Bill Book maintained
- [ ] Valid photo-ID copies obtained
- [ ] Form III/Form C foreign-accommodation account active before foreign guests
- [ ] Foreign arrival report within 24 hours
- [ ] Foreign departure report within 24 hours
- [ ] Foreign records retained electronically at least one year
- [ ] FSSAI status checked if food supplied as a food business
- [ ] GST status reviewed
- [ ] Waste/hygiene/safety standards continuously maintained
- [ ] No unrelated commercial use introduced without authority review
### Renewal
- [ ] Certificate expiry date diarised
- [ ] Renewal started before expiry rather than relying on ambiguous grace provisions
- [ ] Current Annexure B renewal form downloaded
- [ ] Existing certificate copy attached
- [ ] Current renewal fee confirmed
- [ ] Renewal inspection prepared for
- [ ] Any changes in title/rooms/operator disclosed and clarified
- [ ] Renewed certificate obtained before continuing to rely on registration