Starting a Homestay in Lakshadweep

01 / Executive finding

The practical starting point

• The current controlling tourism instrument located is the Lakshadweep Tourist Trade Guidelines, 2026, issued by the Department of Tourism under F.No. 20/01/2026-TD, notice dated 19 August 2026, effective 01 September 2026. Existing hotels, resorts, homestays and specified tourist-trade establishments operating before commencement are required to comply and obtain the requisite permit by 30 September 2026. [S1, notice p.1; Guidelines §II(i)–(ii)]
• A new homestay must obtain a Tourism Trade Permit before commencing operations. The Guidelines say the permit is issued by the “Competent Authority as notified by the Department of Tourism”; the separate notification identifying that Competent Authority was Not stated in the current official material reviewed. [S1, Guidelines §II(iii)–(iv)]
• The Tourism Trade Permit is expressly valid for three years from issue. The current Guidelines also give the Competent Authority a cancellation power after giving the permit holder an opportunity, where the Guidelines are violated. Renewal procedure, renewal window and renewal fee are Not stated in the current official material reviewed. [S1, Guidelines §II(v)–(vi)]
• The current instrument does not define “homestay.” It does not state an owner/family-residence requirement, native/permanent-resident condition, minimum or maximum guest rooms, bed limit, maximum guest capacity, or whether the entire building may be let. Consequently, older “tourist home” concepts cannot safely be imported into the 2026 category. [S1, pp.1–2; S3; S4]
• Every hotel/resort/homestay under Part A of the final 2026 Guidelines must obtain a Trade License, GSTIN and Land Diversion Certificate. The facility “should possess” a commercial electricity connection; that wording is weaker than the surrounding “mandatory” provisions and should be clarified in writing before publication as an absolute legal prerequisite. [S1, Guidelines Part A(i)–(iv), p.1]
• If food is served, the Guidelines say an “FSSAI License” is mandatory. Current central FSSAI rules distinguish Registration from State/Central Licences, including Registration up to ₹1.5 crore turnover from 01 April 2026. Whether the Tourism Department accepts FSSAI Registration for a small homestay is therefore an unresolved official-source wording issue. [S1, Part A(v); S15, Annexure Q2]
• Environmental operating conditions are unusually important: mandatory segregated waste bins and Panchayat handover, an STP or other suitable liquid-waste-management system of sufficient capacity, no development in a No Development Zone, and mandatory rainwater harvesting “as may be prescribed.” [S1, Part A(vi)–(ix), pp.1–2]
• Applicant eligibility is a major unresolved issue. The 2026 tourism instrument does not say whether the Tourism Trade Permit may be held by a company, LLP, partnership, trust, society, lessee, professional operator or caretaker. Current public ServicePlus workflows for Land Diversion, Building Permit and Trade Licence identify the applicant as an Individual, but those auxiliary portals cannot be treated as proof of Tourism Trade Permit eligibility. [S7–S9]
• A public Tourism Trade Permit application portal, application form, fee schedule, inspection checklist, processing target and certificate-download workflow were Not stated in the current official material reviewed. The current Lakshadweep Tourism Service page publicly lists only tour-package and guest-house-booking services. [S5]
• Lakshadweep is a single district with island-level subdivisions and Village (Dweep) Panchayats. There are ten Village (Dweep) Panchayats, one for each inhabited island, and one District Panchayat. Property due diligence must therefore identify the exact island, local Panchayat/subdivision and coastal/IIMP zoning before acquisition or development. [S18]
• Non-native guests require a Lakshadweep entry permit under the 1967 Entry and Residence Rules. The current ePermit portal expressly states that tourist-category sponsorship and Police Clearance Certificate uploads are no longer required. This is a guest-access regime, not a substitute for the homestay's Tourism Trade Permit. [S10–S11]
• For foreign guests, the central Immigration and Foreigners Rules, 2025 expressly include “home stay” within accommodation: guest particulars must be retained electronically for at least one year, and Form III arrival and departure information must be transmitted electronically within 24 hours of each event. [S13, Rule 17]
• Lakshadweep's 2026–27 25% Capital Investment Subsidy may be relevant only if the Industries Department accepts the proposed homestay as an eligible servicing unit. The scheme does not expressly name homestays; its 2026 application window ended 31 August 2026, and assistance is committee-verified and sanctioned rather than automatic. [S19, circular p.1; Guidelines §§4–9]
• There is not yet enough current primary-source material to publish a definitive owner-facing Lakshadweep homestay eligibility and registration guide. The current compliance obligations are publishable, but the definition, eligible registration holder, room/capacity rules, permit form, fees, inspection procedure, renewal and status of older tourist-home rules require written Tourism Department clarification. [S1–S5]

02 / Document chronology

Use the current rules and implementation

1967 — Entry and Residence Rules

The Laccadive, Minicoy and Amindivi Islands (Restriction on Entry and Residence) Rules, 1967 establish the separate permit regime for persons who are not natives of the islands. The current 2026 ePermit portal still expressly invokes these Rules. [S10–S11] This regime governs access to Lakshadweep; it does not constitute permission to operate tourist accommodation.

08 March 2019 — ICRZ Notification

MoEFCC issued the Island Coastal Regulation Zone Notification, 2019, S.O.1242(E), replacing the preceding island-protection framework subject to its plan-transition provisions and later amendments. Lakshadweep development remains dependent on the applicable IIMP/coastal zoning. [S14]

May 2020 — Draft Lakshadweep Tourism Policy

The Tourism Department published a draft Tourism Policy for public comments. It discussed local-resident “Tourist Homes,” island carrying capacity, proposed NOCs and room concepts. Those provisions were never established in the located official material as a final operative policy and must not be carried into 2026 requirements. [S3]

16 June 2020 — Home Stays consultation

The Department issued a public consultation asking residents about genuine “Home Stays” and included a basic reference questionnaire. Its own wording made it a discussion/consultation exercise. It is not a current registration form. [S4]

01 September 2025 — Immigration and Foreigners Rules, 2025

The new central Rules superseded earlier foreigner-registration rules subject to savings. Rule 17 now expressly covers home stays and creates electronic reporting and one-year record-retention duties. [S12]

11 April 2026 — Draft Tourist Trade Guidelines

F.No.20/01/2026-TD published a draft for thirty days of comments. The draft:

• separated Hotels/Resorts and Home Stays into Parts A and B;
• required Trade Licence and Land Diversion Certificate;
• used an STP-only liquid-waste formulation;
• did not contain the final GSTIN requirement; and
• did not contain the final rainwater-harvesting provision. [S2] The official “Documents” page still links this April draft under the same “Lakshadweep Tourist Trade Guidelines, 2026” title, creating a material stale-document risk.

13 July 2026 — Capital Investment Subsidy invitation

The Directorate of Industries invited applications for the 2026–27 25% Capital Investment Subsidy, requiring island-level scrutiny and a 31 August 2026 submission deadline. [S18]

19 August / 01 September 2026 — Final Tourist Trade Guidelines

The final instrument was issued on 19 August, effective 01 September. It:

• expressly includes Hotels / Resorts / Homestays together under Part A;
• adds mandatory GSTIN;
• allows STP or other suitable liquid-waste-management systems of sufficient capacity;
• adds mandatory rainwater harvesting “as may be prescribed”;
• provides a cancellation power after opportunity; and
• creates a 30 September transitional compliance deadline for existing establishments. [S1] This final August instrument controls over the April consultation draft. The April draft was not an operative earlier regulation requiring formal repeal.

Unresolved historical overlap

The 2020 draft policy stated that the Administration had already framed/notified guidelines for Tourist Homes. A current primary copy of those underlying Tourist Home guidelines, together with a rescission/supersession instrument or confirmation of continued applicability, was Not stated in the current official material reviewed. This is consequential because the final 2026 Guidelines regulate “Homestays” without defining the category.

03 / Category definitions

Choose the right accommodation category

Publication consequence: national Ministry of Tourism classification concepts must not be substituted for the absent Lakshadweep definition. The 2026 UT permit regime is the controlling local source.

04 / Eligibility decision tree

Check whether the applicant and property qualify

Step 1 — Identify the exact property address and island/local body.

• No property/site selected yet → it is impossible to test NDZ/IIMP status, title, Land Diversion or building permissions. Not established in the published material
• Exact site is identified → obtain the currently applicable coastal/IIMP zoning for that parcel.
• Site is confirmed within a No Development Zone → current Tourism Guidelines prohibit development of the facility. does not appear to fit the published homestay definition
• Site is outside NDZ or an existing lawful structure is proposed → continue. Step 2 — Establish the property right.
• Applicant is registered owner with clear land records → continue.
• Joint/inherited/co-owned property → current homestay-specific co-owner-consent rules were not located. Confirm this in writing with the authority
• Long-term lease/rental arrangement → the Trade Licence workflow recognises lease/rental documents, but Tourism Trade Permit eligibility of a lessee is not established. Confirm this in writing with the authority
• No title, lease or legally documented occupation → property permitting cannot presently be established. Not established in the published material Step 3 — Identify the proposed Tourism Trade Permit holder.
• Individual owner → auxiliary public workflows accept individuals, but the 2026 tourism instrument itself does not prescribe applicant eligibility. Continue only after obtaining the current Tourism application instructions. Confirm this in writing with the authority
• Company / LLP / partnership / trust / society → no 2026 tourism provision located authorising or prohibiting such entity as permit holder. Confirm this in writing with the authority
• Professional management company → no provision located allowing it to substitute for the statutory permit holder. Confirm this in writing with the authority Step 4 — Establish who will reside at the property.
• Owner/family will reside there → the current Guidelines still provide no owner-residence rule or definition. Confirm this in writing with the authority
• Owner lives elsewhere and a caretaker/operator will remain on site → no current caretaker route was located. Confirm this in writing with the authority
• No resident host proposed → whether this remains a “homestay” or should fall into another accommodation category cannot be determined from S1. Consider another accommodation category Step 5 — Establish operating structure.
• Owner operates personally → continue subject to the missing homestay definition.
• Owner appoints a professional operator → no current rule establishes whether registration holder and operator may differ. Confirm this in writing with the authority
• Entire property is leased to an operator → Trade Licence documentation alone does not answer Tourism Trade Permit eligibility. Confirm this in writing with the authority Step 6 — Establish rooms, beds and guest capacity.
• Any proposed room count → current minimum/maximum room and bed limits are Not stated in the current official material reviewed. Historical draft numbers must not be used. Confirm this in writing with the authority Step 7 — Establish building status.
• New construction or substantial proposed construction → obtain address-specific coastal/IIMP clearance position, Land Diversion Certificate and applicable Building Permit before treating development as viable. Confirm this in writing with the authority
• Existing residential building proposed for conversion → Land Diversion is expressly mandatory under S1; building-use/occupancy consequences must also be checked. Confirm this in writing with the authority
• Already-running homestay → comply with final 2026 Guidelines and obtain requisite permit by 30 September 2026. Existing operation does not prove eligibility under the new regime. Confirm this in writing with the authority Important: because no operative homestay definition was located, this research cannot responsibly produce a branch ending This appears to fit the published route, subject to the remaining checks.

05 / Applicant and operating structures

Set the ownership and operating structure

06 / Property and classification standards

Prepare the property for inspection

07 / Documents and declarations

Assemble the application file

Download the Lakshadweep property and application checklist ↓

08 / Application and inspection process

Follow the application and inspection process

Because no public Tourism Trade Permit form or authenticated workflow was located, the following sequence distinguishes verified prerequisites from unresolved Tourism implementation steps.

Existing homestays

An establishment operating before 01 September 2026 is not exempt: S1 expressly requires compliance and the requisite permit by 30 September 2026. [S1, notice and §II(ii)]

09 / Fees, timelines, validity and renewal

Confirm fees, timing and certificate validity

Legacy certificates: no current provision was located explaining conversion, renewal or grandfathering of pre-2026 Tourist Home/homestay certificates. The only located transitional rule is the obligation to obtain the current permit by 30 September 2026.

10 / Operating duties after registration

Run the registered homestay correctly

Duties expressly established by current tourism sources

A registered homestay must continue to satisfy the Part A framework on which its permit rests:

• maintain the requisite Trade Licence;
• maintain GSTIN status required by the tourism rule;
• have the required Land Diversion Certificate;
• address the commercial-electricity condition;
• maintain applicable FSSAI compliance if food is served;
• segregate biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste;
• hand waste to the Panchayat during door-to-door collection;
• maintain an STP or other suitable liquid-waste system of sufficient capacity;
• comply with the NDZ prohibition; and
• maintain mandatory rainwater harvesting as prescribed. [S1, Part A] Violation can lead to cancellation after an opportunity is given. [S1 §II(vi)]

Guest entry

A person who is not a native of Lakshadweep is subject to the Entry and Residence Rules and current ePermit process. The live portal states that tourist-category sponsorship and PCC upload are no longer required. [S10–S11]

Foreign guests

For every foreigner, including an OCI cardholder, the accommodation keeper must:

• obtain and record the prescribed arrival/departure particulars;
• obtain the guest's signature;
• keep those particulars electronically for at least one year;
• make them available for authorised inspection;
• submit Form III electronically within 24 hours of arrival; and
• transmit departure details within 24 hours of departure. Rule 17 expressly includes “home stay.” [S12, Rule 17(1)–(7)]

Items not located as homestay operating rules

The following were Not stated in the current official material reviewed:

• mandatory tariff/rate display;
• prescribed guest invoice format;
• Tourism Department complaint register;
• Tourism Permit certificate-display rule;
• domestic guest-register format;
• domestic guest ID-copy retention period;
• monthly tourism-statistics return;
• occupancy return;
• ordinary staff police verification;
• caretaker police verification;
• mandatory local-employment percentage;
• mandatory employee training;
• prescribed incident report;
• homestay-specific insurance;
• Tourism Department record-retention period; and
• renewal reminder/window. These must not be added to a public Lakshadweep guide without a current official source.

11 / Adjacent approvals and dependencies

Close the approvals outside Tourism

12 / Incentives, subsidy and funding

Evaluate incentives without assuming sanction

14.1 Lakshadweep 25% Capital Investment Subsidy — 2026–27

Official scheme: Revised Guideline for Providing 25% Capital Investment Subsidy to Micro and Small Entrepreneurs Units, circulated for 2026–27 under F.No. 7/2/2026-IND/374, dated 13 July 2026. [S18] Area: the enclosed guideline states all inhabited islands in Lakshadweep. [S18, §3] Activity scope: the guideline defines an industrial unit broadly as a micro/small manufacturing or servicing unit, excluding UT Administration units. New units must fall outside the negative list. [S18, §§4–5] Homestay applicability: NOT CONFIRMED. “Homestay,” hotel or tourist accommodation was not expressly identified in the provisions reviewed. A project should therefore obtain written Industries confirmation that the proposed activity qualifies as an eligible servicing unit before putting any subsidy into a financial model. Eligible applicant: the financial-assistance section says any individual above 18 years, including women, ex-servicemen and persons with disability. Another provision permits qualifying societies and SHGs. However, the scheme introduction describes its purpose as assistance to local entrepreneurs, while the 2026 circular invites “eligible entrepreneurs functioning in the U.T. of Lakshadweep.” These formulations are not sufficiently aligned to assume non-resident investor eligibility. [S18, §§1, 5 and 8] Investment ceiling: the guideline states that the micro enterprise/unit's investment in plant, machinery and building must be below ₹25 lakh for eligibility under this scheme. [S18 §8(ii)] Assistance: 25% of total cost of the enterprise inclusive of land, machinery and construction, limited to ₹6.25 lakh. [S18 §8(iii)] Eligible fixed-capital concepts: building/built-up area and plant/machinery are addressed. Plant/machinery calculation includes eligible equipment/tools and stated transportation/erection costs subject to the guideline; second-hand machinery is excluded from the 25% subsidy calculation. [S18 §4] Expansion: investment in expansion, modernisation and diversification is stated as not eligible. [S18 §4(c)] Double benefit: the guideline excludes an entrepreneur who has enjoyed another subsidy for the same purpose from identified institutions. [S18 §5(ii)] Required route and evidence for the 2026–27 invitation:

• submit through concerned DC/BDO;
• Island Level Committee recommendation/authentication;
• PWD Assistant Engineer certification of estimated building/built-up cost;
• physical inspection of installed machinery;
• original purchase bills;
• ownership/possession certificate; and
• Udyam registration before release of assistance. [S18, circular p.1] The enclosed guideline provides for Island Level Committee verification/physical inspection, followed by District Level Scrutinising Committee review and recommendation of subsidy quantum. [S18 §§7–9] Bank route: no mandatory commercial-bank loan route for this particular UT subsidy was established in the provisions reviewed. The route located is departmental through island/DC/BDO and Industries committees. Application timing: the 2026–27 circular required applications by 31 August 2026 at 6:00 PM. The reviewed application window was therefore closed on the research date. No extension was located. [S18, circular p.1] Automatic entitlement? No. The circular expressly calls applications for “considering for sanction”; island and district-level verification/recommendation are built into the process. The ₹6.25 lakh ceiling must not be represented as automatically available.

14.2 Udyam

Udyam registration is not a Tourism Trade Permit requirement in S1. It is relevant because the current 2026 capital-subsidy circular requires Udyam before release. The official portal states that Udyam registration is free, paperless, self-declared and requires no renewal. [S19]

14.3 Other homestay-specific incentives

A currently open Lakshadweep Tourism Department subsidy, interest subsidy, homestay-specific capital reimbursement or automatic tourism loan programme was Not stated in the current official material reviewed. Generic national MSME or credit schemes should not be described as Lakshadweep homestay incentives until the relevant implementing authority and lender confirm activity eligibility.

13 / Business implications

Translate the rules into a workable project

Before selecting or acquiring a property

the project team should establish, for the specific candidate property:

1. exact island, parcel and Village (Dweep) Panchayat/subdivision;
2. current coastal/IIMP zone and confirmation that the proposed facility is not in NDZ;
3. title, mutation/possession and any co-owner issues;
4. whether acquisition/lease structure is compatible with the required statutory applicant;
5. whether Land Diversion is available;
6. whether the existing/proposed building can lawfully be used as intended;
7. commercial electricity feasibility;
8. liquid-waste and solid-waste feasibility;
9. food-service intention; and
10. who the Tourism Department will accept as Tourism Trade Permit holder. A capital-only participant should not move from broad island screening to binding property economics until those matters are materially resolved.

Before construction or renovation

The architecture brief should not be frozen from historical Lakshadweep “Tourist Home” room numbers. No current homestay room/bathroom/capacity schedule has been located. Before construction expenditure:

• resolve NDZ/IIMP position;
• obtain the required Land Diversion route;
• obtain applicable Building Permit;
• obtain written Tourism confirmation of the intended accommodation category and capacity;
• design an acceptable liquid-waste system;
• incorporate rainwater harvesting;
• test commercial power requirements; and
• resolve food-preparation design with FSSAI requirements where applicable.

Registration holder versus operating entity

The located 2026 Guidelines do not establish that registration holder and professional operator may be different persons. Therefore a structure in which:

• owner holds title;
• an LLP/company supplies capital;
• another company operates; and
• a caretaker resides at the property cannot be treated as compliant merely because contractual documents allocate those roles. The Tourism Department must first confirm who can legally hold the permit and what relationship, if any, an authorised manager may have to that holder.

LLP or management agreement

An LLP agreement, lease, power of attorney or hotel-management agreement may allocate private contractual rights, but it cannot by itself:

• create Tourism Trade Permit eligibility;
• cure incompatible land use;
• replace Land Diversion;
• replace Building Permit;
• remove IIMP/NDZ restrictions;
• create an exemption from Trade Licence/GSTIN/FSSAI requirements; or
• override guest-entry/foreign-reporting law.

Property-development scope

Property-development scope should be conditional on local permissions rather than sold as a fixed package. A site outside NDZ may still carry other IIMP, building, infrastructure or environmental restrictions.

Property-assessment and commercial-planning file

Each candidate property should include at minimum:

• island/subdivision/Panchayat;
• parcel/title status;
• applicable IIMP/coastal zone;
• land-diversion status;
• existing building approvals;
• proposed physical works;
• proposed guest-room/bed count clearly marked pending Tourism confirmation;
• power/water/waste systems;
• food-service model;
• proposed statutory permit holder;
• proposed manager/operator;
• guest entry-permit logistics;
• foreigner-reporting readiness;
• verified permit/fee assumptions only; and
• incentives modelled at zero unless separately sanctioned.

Questions to answer before business terms

the project team should know before proposing economic terms:

• who owns the land/building;
• whether title is sole or shared;
• who is intended to hold statutory registrations;
• whether that person/entity is eligible;
• who will live on site;
• who will manage guests;
• whether a company/LLP may operate while another person holds the permit;
• intended food operation;
• building stage;
• proposed room/bed capacity;
• exact environmental zone;
• status of Trade Licence/Land Diversion/Building Permit;
• whether the project is new or existing; and
• whether any subsidy assumption has an actual sanction rather than merely theoretical eligibility. No fixed ownership percentage, capital contribution or income commitment follows from the regulatory evidence.

14 / Official-source conflicts

Resolve conflicting official instructions

Conflict 1 — Official Lakshadweep website exposes both draft and final 2026 Guidelines

Source A: official “Documents” page dated 11 April 2026 links 17759345784551.pdf. That PDF expressly says it is a draft published for comments/suggestions. [S2] Source B: official Tourism notice published 19 August 2026 links the final instrument, says the Guidelines “have been issued,” and fixes 01 September 2026 as commencement. [S1] Contradictory practical propositions: the April draft lacks final requirements including GSTIN and rainwater harvesting and structures accommodation categories differently. Hierarchy/date resolution: Source A expressly identifies itself as a consultation draft; Source B is a later final notice with an effective date. The August instrument therefore controls. Affected properties: every hotel, resort and homestay. Practical instruction: do not link the April “Documents” page as the operative rule in a public guide without clearly labelling it obsolete.

Conflict 2 — Current “homestay” category versus older “Tourist Home” material

Source A: final 2026 Guidelines regulate “Homestays” but provide no definition, room limit, host-residence condition or applicant qualification. [S1] Source B: the 2020 draft policy discussed local-resident “Tourist Homes,” capacity concepts and stated that separate Tourist Home guidelines had previously been framed/notified. [S3] The underlying primary Tourist Home notification and its current rescission/survival status were Not stated in the current official material reviewed. Status: The official sources are not aligned. There is insufficient authority to conclude either:

• that the old Tourist Home standards remain applicable to 2026 Homestays; or
• that the 2026 Guidelines extinguished every older definition/classification provision. Affected properties: every project whose viability depends on room count, local residency, resident-host status, classification grade or non-owner management. Authority to resolve: Director, Department of Tourism, UTLA, Kavaratti; request the current consolidated homestay rulebook and express status of all earlier Tourist Home guidelines.

Conflict 3 — “FSSAI License” versus current national Registration/Licence structure

Source A: Lakshadweep 2026 Guidelines say “FSSAI License shall be mandatory for facilities serving food.” [S1, Part A(v)] Source B: FSSAI's 27 March 2026 official implementation FAQ expressly provides a Registration category up to ₹1.5 crore turnover, State Licence above that through ₹50 crore, and Central Licence above ₹50 crore. [S15, Q2] Status: The official sources are not aligned in terminology. It should not be assumed that the Lakshadweep Department intended to exclude a legally valid FSSAI Registration. Affected properties: small homestays serving meals. Authority to resolve: Tourism Department and Lakshadweep Food Safety authority/FSSAI — obtain written confirmation whether an FSSAI Registration satisfies Part A(v).

Conflict 4 — Public Trade Licence implementation pages

The current descriptor for the 31 July 2026 Trade Licence service shows an active Individual/online-kiosk workflow and a one-week service metric. Other indexed application endpoints return “Service Under Modification.” [S9] Status: implementation sources are not fully aligned. This does not invalidate S1's legal requirement to obtain a Trade Licence. It means the current filing channel and applicable enclosure set should be verified immediately before submission. Authority: Revenue Department / island DC or BDO.

Conflict 5 — Capital subsidy applicant scope

Source A: subsidy introduction describes promotion of micro/small enterprises for local entrepreneurs. [S18 §1] Source B: §8 says “Any individual above 18 years”, while §5 also discusses societies and SHGs. [S18 §§5, 8] Source C: the 2026 invitation refers to “eligible entrepreneurs functioning in the U.T. of Lakshadweep.” [S18 circular] Status: The official sources are not aligned for non-local/non-resident applicant scope. Affected cases: outside investors, company-led projects and capital-only participants. Authority: Director of Industries.

15 / Unresolved questions for the authority

Take the remaining questions to the authority

The following questions are suitable for a written request to the Department of Tourism, with related questions copied to Revenue/Environment/Industries where indicated.

1. Definition: The final Lakshadweep Tourist Trade Guidelines, 2026 use “Homestays” in §II and Part A but contain no definition. What is the current legally operative definition of a homestay in Lakshadweep?
2. Earlier rules: The Draft Lakshadweep Tourism Policy 2020 stated that guidelines for Tourist Homes had already been framed/notified. Please provide those guidelines and confirm expressly whether they remain in force, have been rescinded, or have been superseded by the 2026 Guidelines.
3. Room limit: What is the current minimum and maximum number of guestrooms permitted in a homestay?
4. Bed/guest limit: What is the maximum number of beds and simultaneous guests?
5. Whole-building use: May every room in a building be offered to guests, or must part remain exclusively residential?
6. Resident host: Must the owner or owner's family ordinarily/permanently reside in the property?
7. Local/native requirement: Must the owner or applicant be a native, permanent resident or domicile holder of Lakshadweep?
8. Individual applicant: Can only an individual hold a Tourism Trade Permit, or can a company, LLP, partnership, trust, society or other legal entity hold it?
9. Lessee: May a long-term lessee obtain a homestay Tourism Trade Permit with owner consent?
10. Joint ownership: What consent is required from co-owners or legal heirs?
11. Caretaker: Can an owner living elsewhere meet any host-residence condition through a resident caretaker?
12. Professional manager: May the Tourism Trade Permit holder appoint a professional management company for reservations, staffing and guest operations?
13. Permit holder versus operator: If permitted, what declaration/approval is required where the registration holder and operating entity differ?
14. Competent Authority: Please provide the notification referred to in §II(iii) identifying the Competent Authority for the Tourism Trade Permit.
15. Inspection authority: Which officer/committee conducts homestay inspection, and is there an island-level inspection body?
16. Application form: Please provide the current Tourism Trade Permit application form and complete document/upload list for new and existing homestays.
17. Portal: Is the application online, ServicePlus-based, offline or hybrid? What is the official submission URL or office?
18. Fees: What are the application, permit, inspection and renewal fees, and what payment/refund rules apply?
19. Processing period: Is any statutory or administrative processing target prescribed?
20. Inspection checklist: Is there a current homestay inspection or classification checklist?
21. Classification: Are Gold/Diamond or any other Tourist Home/homestay grades currently operative?
22. Renewal: What is the renewal window, process, fee and inspection requirement for the three-year permit?
23. Modification: What approval is required to change guest-room count, ownership, operator, trade name or food operation?
24. Transfer/succession: What occurs on sale, inheritance, lease, death of owner or change in company control?
25. Appeal: What authority hears appeals from refusal, suspension or cancellation, and within what period?
26. Commercial electricity: Part A(iv) says the facility “should possess” a commercial electricity connection. Is this a mandatory precondition to permit issuance or an operating direction?
27. FSSAI: Does a valid FSSAI Registration under the 2026 national threshold satisfy Part A(v), or does Tourism insist on a State/Central “Licence” regardless of FSSAI category?
28. Liquid waste: What technical standards establish an acceptable “other suitable Liquid Waste Management System” and who certifies its sufficiency?
29. Rainwater: What specification is prescribed under Part A(ix), and which authority certifies compliance?
30. NDZ/IIMP: Which current approved/applicable IIMP map and parcel-verification procedure should an applicant use to establish that a proposed property is outside NDZ?
31. Domestic guest records: Is any prescribed guest register, ID-retention rule or monthly occupancy return required by Tourism/Police for domestic guests?
32. Staff: Are owner, caretaker or employee police verifications required?
33. Subsidy: Does a licensed homestay qualify as a “servicing unit” for the 25% Capital Investment Subsidy, and must the beneficiary be a local/native resident?
34. Existing properties: What exact application package and inspection procedure applies to homestays operating before 01 September 2026 that must regularise by 30 September 2026?

Contact and escalation route

Primary tourism route: Department of Tourism, Kavaratti — the current 2026 notice gives 04896-262250 and td-dir-lak@gov.in. [S1] Island/local implementation: the final Tourism notice was circulated to DCs/BDOs in all islands. Lakshadweep's administrative structure places island development/revenue functions with Deputy Collectors/SDOs/BDOs. [S1, S17] Collectorate/Revenue: current ePermit contact is Collectorate, Kavaratti, 04896-262384, collectorate2@gmail.com / addl.dm-lk@nic.in. Environment: current Lakshadweep directory lists the Conservator of Forest & Environment and Director Science & Technology; site-specific coastal/IIMP issues should be escalated through the current environmental administration.