Starting a Homestay in Maharashtra

01 / Executive finding

The practical starting point

• Maharashtra presently treats Homestay as a distinct tourism-accommodation category under the Maharashtra Tourism Policy 2024, alongside B&B, Vacation Rental Homes, Tourist Apartments and other accommodation units. The current Directorate of Tourism website separately offers “Registration of Homestays under the Tourism Policy-2024,” while the February 2026 Citizen Charter identifies the concerned Deputy Director, Directorate of Tourism, as the service officer. [S1, §14.3, pp. 21–22; S3, registration menu; S4, p. 8, item 11]
• The current public Homestay application describes a Homestay as accommodation where tourists stay with a local family, generally in a private room in that family's home, and expressly says the homeowner is present. This is presently the strongest operational definition located. [S2, pp. 2–3]
• A Maharashtra domicile, permanent-resident certificate, minimum duration of state residence, or district-domicile condition for an ordinary Homestay applicant was Not stated in the current official material reviewed. This must not be confused with the separate AAI women-centred incentive, which does impose Maharashtra-residency conditions on that scheme's beneficiaries. [S2, pp. 0–9; S6, Guidelines]
• A current numeric minimum or maximum number of Homestay guest rooms, beds or guests was Not stated in the material reviewed. The original July 2024 Policy grouped “Homestays” with B&B/Vacation Rental Homes and stated a minimum of one lettable room; the current amended consolidated policy removed “Homestays” from that combined Annexure-C definition. The July 2025 Homestay application asks how many rooms are proposed but gives no numeric threshold. The old one-room rule should therefore not be republished as a settled current Homestay limit. [S1A, Annexure C, p. 116; S1, Annexure C, p. 62; S2, p. 0]
• The current form is specifically for an existing Homestay. It requires either construction permission or a construction-completion certificate, and the declaration states that construction is complete, the premises are habitable and the property complies with building, zoning and local-body requirements. No equivalent pre-construction Homestay-registration route was located. [S2, pp. 1, 4, 8]
• The verified state Homestay application fee is ₹2,500 through GRAS. Mandatory attachments marked in the form include Aadhaar, PAN, ownership proof, local-police character certificate, NOCs from two neighbouring residents, construction permission or completion certificate, GRAS challan, signed declaration/terms and a Mahabooking registration copy. [S2, p. 1]
• Mahabooking pre-registration is mandatory before the state Homestay application under the current terms. The resulting registration number must be put in the application; the operator is also instructed to take bookings through the portal and maintain digital guest records through its inventory system. [S2, pp. 4, 6–7]
• The operating terms additionally require NIDHI registration in the relevant accommodation category followed by Directorate data verification and display of the resulting Pledge certificate. A valid Green Leaf Rating registration must also be obtained and maintained. The exact Maharashtra procedure, timing, fee and competent committee for Green Leaf Rating were not located in the Homestay materials. [S2, pp. 5–7; S9, NIDHI+]
• The form recognises an “operator” operationally and includes business-entity options such as partnership, private company and LLP. Its declaration also contains owner/operator/tenant language. However, no current provision was located establishing that a company, LLP, tenant, caretaker or professional manager may replace the owner whose presence is part of the published Homestay definition. Registration-holder/operator separation therefore requires written Directorate clarification. [S2, pp. 0, 2–3, 7–8]
• The current official materials are not aligned on Vacation Homes: the amended Tourism Policy's Annexure C still combines B&B/Vacation Rental Homes around owner/family residence, whereas the July 2025 application defines a Vacation Home as an entire private residential property rented as one unit with no host participation. This matters directly to owners who will not reside at the property. [S1, Annexure C, p. 62; S2, pp. 2–3]
• No current Homestay-specific processing period, certificate-validity term, renewal window, renewal fee, inspection fee or formal appeal procedure was located. The 2026 Citizen Charter confirms the service and officer but does not provide a Homestay completion deadline. [S4, p. 8; S2, pp. 0–9]
• A Homestay that accommodates foreign nationals is independently subject to the Immigration and Foreigners Rules, 2025. Current Rule 17 requires the keeper of accommodation—including a Homestay—to submit Form III information within 24 hours of arrival and departure and preserve the electronic accommodation record for at least one year. The Maharashtra form's older “C-Form” wording predates those Rules. [S8, Rule 17, p. 27; S2, p. 4]
• Serving food creates a separate FSSAI/FoSCoS dependency. Tourism registration does not itself constitute a food-business licence or registration. The applicable FoSCoS Kind of Business must be chosen from the actual food operation rather than automatically treating every Homestay as a hotel or restaurant. [S7–S7A]
• Maharashtra Tourism Policy incentives can extend to Homestays, but they require separate registration/eligibility/sanction processes and contain material internal inconsistencies concerning the qualifying investment look-back and the expansion threshold. No subsidy, reimbursement or eligibility certificate should be represented as automatic. [S1, §§14.3–14.4, 29.5, Annexure C]
• There is sufficient current primary evidence to prepare a public guide provided that the unresolved room limits, entity/operator route, renewal/validity position, Vacation Home conflict, Green Leaf implementation and incentive conflicts remain visibly qualified rather than filled by inference.

02 / Document chronology

Use the current rules and implementation

1. Pre-2024 framework. Maharashtra Tourism Policy 2024 itself refers to earlier Tourism Policies, including 2016, and contains transition rules for earlier incentive registrations. The 2016 framework was not relied upon to derive current Homestay requirements. [S1, §3]
2. 18 July 2024 — Tourism Policy of Maharashtra 2024. The original GR introduced Homestays among eligible accommodation units. Its original Annexure C combined “Bed & Breakfast/Homestays/Vacation Rental Homes” and stated a minimum one lettable room. [S1A, Annexure C]
3. Current consolidated amended file dated 17 June 2025. The Directorate now publishes Final-Amended-policy-17.06.25.pdf. It retains Homestay as an eligible Category-2 accommodation but changes Annexure C so that the combined definition reads “Bed & Breakfast/Vacation Rental Homes,” omitting “Homestays.” A separate amending GR/corrigendum expressly documenting that deletion was Not stated in the current official material reviewed. [S1, §14.3; Annexure C]
4. July 2025 — standalone Homestay application package. This provides a separate definition and operating regime for Homestay, Tourist Villa, Vacation Home and Tourist Apartment. It requires the owner to be present for Homestay but establishes no numeric room threshold. [S2, pp. 2–7]
5. 1 September 2025 — Immigration and Foreigners Rules, 2025. These superseded the Registration of Foreigners Rules, 1992 and replaced the state form's older C-Form terminology with the current Form III framework. [S8, Rule 17]
6. 28 February 2026 — Tourism Citizen Charter. Confirms Homestay as a separate G2B/direct-portal service and the concerned Deputy Director, DoT, as nodal/service officer. B&B remains separately classified as a G2C service through the concerned MTDC Regional Manager. [S4, p. 8]
7. 1 April 2026 — revised FoSCoS Kind-of-Business eligibility. This is relevant where the Homestay serves food and must be applied independently of tourism registration. [S7A]
8. 24 June 2026/current — Directorate website/contact material. The current public site continues to list Homestay registration under Tourism Policy 2024 and separately lists B&B registration/renewal. [S3, S5] Supersession finding: the current amended policy and July 2025 application should be used for current Homestay analysis. The original July 2024 PDF remains useful only to expose document history; its old one-room Homestay wording should not be silently carried forward.

03 / Category definitions

Choose the right accommodation category

The most important categorical distinction is therefore not the marketing description of a property but whether the resident owner is actually present. Whole-property/non-hosted inventory appears to be directed toward another accommodation category rather than the current Homestay definition.

04 / Eligibility decision tree

Check whether the applicant and property qualify

1. Fix the exact address first.

• Identify district, municipal corporation/municipal council/Nagar Panchayat/Gram Panchayat or other local body, planning authority and whether the land is subject to CRZ, forest, eco-sensitive, heritage, cantonment or special-planning controls.
• If those facts are not known: Not established in the published material for property-level eligibility.

1. Establish title and possession.

• If the applicant can provide current ownership evidence and there is no title dispute, proceed.
• If ownership is joint/inherited or disputed and the applicant cannot truthfully make S2's no-dispute declaration: Confirm this in writing with the authority.
• If only a lease exists: S2 contains tenant language but ownership proof remains mandatory; Confirm this in writing with the authority.

1. Identify who the applicant will be.

• Resident individual owner: proceed.
• Company/LLP/firm/trust or professional manager: business categories exist in the form, but certificate-holder eligibility is not resolved; Confirm this in writing with the authority.

1. Identify who will live at the property.

• Owner/local family will normally live in the home and guests occupy private room(s): This appears to fit the published route, subject to the remaining checks.
• Owner lives elsewhere and only caretaker/manager is present: does not appear to fit the published homestay definition unless DoT confirms otherwise.
• Entire property is to be rented without host participation: Consider another accommodation category; Vacation Home is the obvious published comparison category, but its official definitions conflict and therefore require written confirmation.

1. Identify who operates the business.

• Owner operates it: supported.
• Owner remains resident but a professional operator handles distribution, housekeeping or guest operations: operator role is recognised, but certificate-holder/contracting split is not stated; Confirm this in writing with the authority before relying on the structure.
• Operator substitutes completely for absent owner: does not appear to fit the published homestay definition on present evidence.

1. Set the room and bed plan.

• Current form asks number of proposed rooms and room areas.
• Current Homestay minimum/maximum room, bed and guest limits: Not established in the published material.
• Do not import the original 2024 one-room clause without written confirmation.

1. Establish development status.

• Existing completed/habitable lawful building: proceed.
• Running Homestay: current application expressly asks present-use/start-year/tourist history; LIKELY FITS THE APPLICATION ROUTE, subject to definition and documents.
• Proposed new building or unfinished conversion: current Homestay application requires completed/habitable premises; Not established in the published material for pre-construction Homestay registration. Complete land/building approvals first. Incentive-related provisional eligibility is a separate process and is not Homestay approval.

1. Verify building and local permissions.

• Construction permission or completion certificate available, lawful zoning/use and necessary NOCs obtainable: proceed.
• Otherwise: Confirm this in writing with the authority or This does not appear to fit the published route until cured.

1. Prepare state application prerequisites.

• Mahabooking pre-registration, police character certificate, two neighbour NOCs, title evidence and mandatory documents available: proceed.
• Missing any mandatory starred item: This does not appear to fit the published route until supplied. Use these branches as a starting test and confirm the result for the exact property.

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

Affidavit/stamp-paper finding for ordinary Homestay: a general Homestay affidavit on specified stamp paper was Not stated in the material reviewed in S2. Do not import the AAI scheme's ₹100 notarised women-owned-business affidavit into ordinary Homestay registration.

Download the Maharashtra property and application checklist ↓

08 / Application and inspection process

Follow the application and inspection process

The Directorate expressly retains inspection authority, but a current Homestay-specific inspection checklist was Not stated in the current official material reviewed. [S2, p. 9]

09 / Fees, timelines, validity and renewal

Confirm fees, timing and certificate validity

Legacy certificates: no current official table explaining how pre-2024 Homestay certificates migrate, renew or convert was located. Tourism Policy transition provisions concern policy/incentive eligibility and should not be presented as a Homestay-certificate renewal rule.

10 / Operating duties after registration

Run the registered homestay correctly

Certificate and platform duties

• Display the Directorate of Tourism certificate prominently. [S2, p. 4]
• Maintain Mahabooking registration, display its certificate and take bookings through the platform under the published terms. [S2, pp. 4–7]
• Register in the corresponding NIDHI accommodation category; after DoT data verification and receipt of access, download and display the Pledge certificate. [S2, p. 5]
• Obtain and maintain valid Green Leaf Rating registration. [S2, pp. 6–7]

Guest records and identity

• Keep accurate guest records digitally.
• Record identity details according to applicable rules.
• Use the Mahabooking inventory-management system for these records. [S2, p. 6]
• A general domestic-guest record-retention period was Not stated in the material reviewed.

Foreign guests

Current central Rule 17 applies to every keeper of accommodation and expressly encompasses a Homestay/rented accommodation. The operator must:

• collect prescribed arrival/departure particulars and signatures for foreign guests including OCI cardholders;
• preserve the electronic record for at least one year;
• send Form III information within 24 hours after arrival; and
• send departure information within 24 hours after departure. [S8, Rule 17, p. 27] The Maharashtra July 2025 application still refers to “C-Form” and retaining a passport copy. Because it predates the September 2025 central Rules, the current public guide should use Form III (Earlier Form C) terminology while noting the state's additional passport-copy wording until DoT updates it. [S2, p. 4; S8]

Safety and sanitation

Owner/operator duties include:

• safe environment for resident guests;
• safety measures including fire equipment and other appropriate systems;
• room, toilet, kitchen and common-area hygiene;
• ventilated guest accommodation;
• maintained first-aid kit;
• displayed police/ambulance/fire/medical emergency contacts;
• solid and sewage-waste management;
• environmental measures;
• noise-control compliance;
• avoiding disturbance to neighbours; and
• compliance with applicable state/central laws. [S2, pp. 5–7]

Food

Providing food is not immunised by Homestay registration. An establishment carrying on a food business must determine its FSSAI/FoSCoS registration/licensing category from its actual operation. [S7, S7A]

Rates, invoices and complaints

• Mandatory room-rate display rule specific to the current Maharashtra Homestay form: Not stated in the current official material reviewed.
• Homestay-specific invoice format: Not stated in the material reviewed.
• A complaint can lead to inquiry and, where the establishment is found at fault, cancellation by the concerned Deputy Director. [S2, p. 5]
• General departmental grievance escalation is available through the Tourism Department/Directorate; it should not be described as the applicant's statutory appeal unless a separate appeal provision is located.

Tourism statistics

A standalone monthly/quarterly Homestay statistics return was Not stated in the material reviewed. Digital guest/booking records through Mahabooking are required, but this should not be converted into an invented monthly filing schedule.

Staff

• A general minimum staffing rule: Not stated in the material reviewed.
• General local-employment quota: Not stated in the material reviewed.
• Staff/caretaker police-verification requirement under the Homestay form: Not stated in the material reviewed.
• Applicant's own local-police character certificate is mandatory.
• Separate incentive schemes may impose staffing conditions.

11 / Adjacent approvals and dependencies

Close the approvals outside Tourism

Tourism Policy and non-agricultural/development-charge language

The Tourism Policy contains broad non-fiscal benefit language concerning NA tax/permissions and development charges for eligible tourism projects. That policy language must not be treated as a self-executing building or land-use approval. S2 simultaneously requires compliance with construction, zoning and local-body law and relevant NOCs. No address-specific implementation order relieving an ordinary Homestay of those local checks was located. [S1, non-fiscal incentives, pp. 42–43; S2, pp. 4, 8]

12 / Incentives, subsidy and funding

Evaluate incentives without assuming sanction

14.1 Maharashtra Tourism Policy 2024 — fiscal incentives

Programme: Maharashtra Tourism Policy 2024 incentives for eligible tourism units. Homestay eligibility: Homestays are expressly included among Category-2 accommodation/tourism units eligible under the Policy. All eligible units must register with DoT/MoT and use the Directorate booking platform when available. [S1, §14.3] Geographic zones:

• Zone A: Municipal Corporations in Mumbai Metropolitan Region.
• Zone B: Municipal Corporations of Nashik, Pune, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Nagpur.
• Zone C: rest of Maharashtra.
• STZ/STD: Specially Declared Tourism Zone/District, requiring the relevant declaration. [S1, p. 28] Verified capital-incentive rates under the current amended table:

For Category-2 resident-stay tourism units, the Policy states an overall capital-incentive cap of ₹40 crore, together with SGST treatment according to region/investment conditions. [S1, pp. 30–31] These ceilings are policy maxima, not amounts automatically payable to a Homestay. Other current fiscal incentives for non-mega units:

Quality-certification reimbursement is stated at 50%, capped at ₹2 lakh for national certification or ₹10 lakh for international certification, subject to the Policy's conditions. [S1, p. 33] Eligible capital expenditure located:

• structures/buildings;
• machinery;
• MEP;
• fixtures and furniture;
• internal roads/fences/signage/toilets/basic project infrastructure;
• waste-treatment systems;
• generators/renewable-energy/utilities. [S1, §§29.5.1–29.5.2, pp. 41–42] Excluded from eligible capital investment for capital incentive include:
• land cost, subject to separate policy/tax wording;
• intangible assets;
• expenditure covered by grants/other financial assistance;
• pre-construction/consultancy expenditure as specified;
• capitalised interest; and
• working capital. [S1, pp. 41–42] A leased building can count within eligible-capital-investment rules only where the Policy's lease conditions are met; the current provision uses a minimum 15-year building lease for the specified incentive calculation. This is an incentive rule, not evidence that a 15-year lessee may hold a Homestay registration. [S1, pp. 41–42] Sanction route:

1. Obtain/apply for provisional tourism/incentive registration as required.
2. For a new/expansion project seeking capital incentive, obtain the required Prior Eligibility Certificate during construction/expansion.
3. Commence operations.
4. Apply for eligibility certificate within the stated 180-day post-operation window.
5. Directorate verifies eligibility; Final Eligibility Certificate/payment processes follow.
6. Capital incentive is payable in the Policy's specified instalment mechanism after commercial operation and sanction.
7. Performance-linked claims require documentary evidence such as GST/CA/bank material where applicable. The Policy expressly makes clear that a Provisional Eligibility Certificate does not automatically entitle an applicant to incentives. [S1, pp. 34–36] Current-application status: Tourism Policy 2024 and its incentive application links remain present on the current official Directorate site. Individual eligibility, budget availability, sanction and reimbursement nevertheless require separate approval.

14.2 Material incentive conflicts

Two contradictions exist inside the current consolidated policy:

1. Investment look-back

• Source A: notes around the incentive section refer to investment made during the preceding 5 years for other projects and 7 years for mega/ultra projects.
• Source B: §29.5.2 states only capital investment made during the last 4 years from commercial operation qualifies.
• The official sources are not aligned.

1. Expansion threshold

• Source A: the incentive notes refer to existing-unit expansion of at least 20%, including room/land/built-up measures.
• Source B: §29.5.3/Annexure C uses an expansion threshold above 50%.
• The official sources are not aligned. A running Homestay planning revamp/additional rooms should not model an incentive until DoT confirms the controlling thresholds in writing.

14.3 Existing registered Homestays

The Policy expressly contemplates existing operating registered Homestays/clusters receiving incentives for revamping/standards improvement and addition of rooms, subject to applicable eligibility conditions. [S1, p. 34] Because of the 20%/50% expansion conflict, eligibility should be treated as case-specific and separately sanctioned.

14.4 AAI Women-Centred Tourism Policy — interest reimbursement

Eligible activity: Homestay/B&B is among tourism businesses covered. Applicant: woman entrepreneur meeting the AAI Policy's Maharashtra residency and women-owned/operated business conditions. Route:

1. Apply to concerned Regional Deputy Director, Directorate of Tourism.
2. Submit identity/business documents.
3. Submit notarised affidavit on ₹100 stamp paper declaring women ownership.
4. Submit PAN, bank details, project concept and other prescribed documents.
5. Food business: FDA/FSSAI-related licence required as applicable.
6. GST number if required.
7. Pay ₹50 GRAS application fee.
8. Obtain the Directorate's eligibility/Letter-of-Intent stage.
9. Apply independently to an authorised bank for loan sanction.
10. Interest reimbursement is then processed subject to scheme/bank/repayment requirements. [S6] Verified assistance: tourism loan up to ₹15 lakh; interest reimbursement within the scheme limit of 12%, ₹4.50 lakh, or 7 years, as provided in the guideline ceiling structure. The bank is not required to sanction a loan merely because the Directorate accepts an AAI application. The benefit is not automatic and requires ongoing compliance/repayment. The AAI portal remained operational with registrations/approvals/claim reporting in 2026; this supports current scheme administration but does not establish funding availability for every applicant.

14.5 Best Homestay awards

Tourism Policy 2024 provides awards stated as:

• district: ₹25,000;
• divisional: ₹50,000;
• state: ₹1,00,000. [S1, awards provisions] These are competitive awards, not a property-development subsidy and not guaranteed.

14.6 Training support

The Policy contains hospitality training reimbursements including:

• reimbursement of 75% of training fee up to ₹12,000 in the stated employee-training category; and
• another specified training category capped at ₹12,500 subject to course/duration/beneficiary conditions. [S1, training provisions] Current Homestay-specific application opening and claim SOP for these training benefits was Not stated in the material reviewed.

14.7 Eco/sustainability certification support

The Policy provides sustainability/certification incentives in specified cases, including reimbursement provisions for qualifying eco-tourism/sustainability certification. Whether a particular ordinary Homestay qualifies under each sub-scheme must be confirmed from the application/SOP; the headline benefit should not be treated as universal Homestay entitlement.

14.8 Agri-tourism utility treatment

The Policy contains a domestic-electricity-rate provision for Homestays within agri-tourism industries/units. It must not be presented as a universal domestic-tariff entitlement for every Maharashtra Homestay. [S1, pp. 42–43]

13 / Business implications

Translate the rules into a workable project

Before selecting or acquiring property

the project team should establish, for each candidate:

1. exact cadastral/property address and local body;
2. title/encumbrance/co-owner position;
3. current sanctioned land/building use;
4. construction/completion/occupancy documentation;
5. planning-authority status;
6. CRZ/forest/ESZ/heritage/flood/other overlays;
7. whether the proposed resident-owner arrangement actually satisfies the Homestay definition;
8. proposed number of rooms/beds and whether DoT has confirmed current limits;
9. whether an alternative category is more appropriate;
10. whether food will be served;
11. intended entity, employer, contracting and management structure; and
12. whether incentives are commercially material enough to justify separate eligibility work. Capital alone does not create a Homestay-registration route. The current application requires a particular completed property and specific applicant/property records.

Before construction or renovation

Do not design the development around an assumed Homestay room count because a current numeric Homestay limit was not located. Separately confirm:

• planning and sanctioned use;
• setbacks/FAR/FSI and parking;
• building permission;
• fire triggers;
• sewage/waste;
• water/electricity;
• access;
• protected-zone restrictions;
• whether additional rooms require amended approval; and
• whether an incentive PEC must be obtained before expenditure/construction stages relevant to a proposed incentive. Tourism-policy incentive registration does not replace architectural or planning approval.

Registration holder versus operating entity

The sources demonstrate that an operator can exist and can share operational duties with the owner. They do not establish that the registration holder and operating company may always be different legal persons. Therefore a management company may potentially provide:

• booking/distribution administration;
• housekeeping supervision;
• staffing;
• guest communications;
• food coordination;
• records;
• maintenance; and
• compliance administration, but that operational role alone does not prove it can hold the Homestay certificate.

LLP or management agreement

An LLP, company or management agreement cannot by itself cure:

• absent resident owner;
• disputed title;
• unauthorised construction;
• missing neighbour NOCs;
• missing police certificate;
• incorrect accommodation category;
• FSSAI non-compliance;
• foreigner-reporting non-compliance; or
• local planning/environment restrictions.

Commercial planning file

A property-assessment model should separately record:

• title owner;
• proposed registration holder;
• resident host;
• operator;
• employer;
• guest contracting party;
• food-business operator;
• property lessor/lessee;
• investor;
• tax/GST position;
• all permits;
• unresolved DoT questions;
• non-contingent development cost;
• incentive-eligible cost separately from total project cost; and
• incentive assumptions as zero until separately sanctioned for conservative planning.

Questions to answer before the project team proposes business terms

At minimum:

• Who owns the property?
• Who will actually live there?
• Is that individual required to remain resident?
• Who is permitted to be the certificate holder?
• Can a company/LLP be applicant?
• Can the owner appoint a professional operator?
• Does a lessee qualify?
• How many guest rooms/beds will DoT accept?
• Is the building already legally capable of the intended tourism use?
• Which local approvals are outstanding?
• Is food part of the model?
• Will foreign guests be accepted?
• What operating entity will receive guest revenue?
• Is any incentive being assumed?
• If so, has the correct PEC/eligibility sequence been completed?
• What happens to the Homestay certificate if ownership, lease, operator or room inventory changes? No fixed equity percentage, capital contribution or income commitment can responsibly be derived from the regulatory material.

14 / Official-source conflicts

Resolve conflicting official instructions

Conflict 1 — old Homestay minimum-room definition

Source A: original 18 July 2024 Tourism Policy, Annexure C. Proposition: “Bed & Breakfast/Homestays/Vacation Rental Homes” share a resident-owner/family model and a minimum one lettable room. [S1A, Annexure C p. 116] Source B: current amended consolidated policy dated by filename 17 June 2025. Proposition: Annexure C now reads “Bed & Breakfast/Vacation Rental Homes”; Homestay is omitted from that definition while remaining separately listed as an eligible tourism category. [S1, §14.3 and Annexure C] Source C: July 2025 standalone Homestay application. Proposition: defines Homestay separately around local family/owner presence but sets no numeric room minimum. [S2, pp. 0, 2–3] Hierarchy/date assessment: S1 and S2 are later current materials; old S1A wording should not be applied automatically. Unresolved point: the separate amendment GR/corrigendum expressly showing the legal authority for the deletion was not located. Practical effect: do not publish “minimum one room” as the current Maharashtra Homestay rule. Affected properties: every Homestay, especially single-room or high-room-count proposals. Resolution office: Tourism-4, Tourism & Cultural Affairs Department and concerned Deputy Director, DoT. Status: DOCUMENT HISTORY INCOMPLETE — CURRENT NUMERIC HOMESTAY LIMIT Not stated in the material reviewed.

Conflict 2 — Vacation Home definition

Source A: current amended Tourism Policy Annexure C. Proposition: B&B/Vacation Rental Homes use an owner/family usual-residence model. Source B: July 2025 current registration application. Proposition: Vacation Home is a whole private residential property let as one unit, and the comparison table indicates no host participation. [S2, pp. 2–3] No express amendment or hierarchy rule resolving these propositions was located. Affected properties: whole-home rentals, second homes, owner-absent accommodation and properties unsuitable for an owner-present Homestay. Resolution office: concerned Deputy Director and Tourism-4. Status: The official sources are not aligned.

Conflict 3 — entity/tenant/operator route

Source A: S2 Homestay definition requires homeowner presence. Source B: S2 application lets the applicant select partnership, Pvt Ltd, LLP, public company, cooperative, trust, SHG, JFMC and other business forms. Source C: S2 declarations/signatures recognise owner/operator and contain tenant/holder/administrator wording. [S2, pp. 0, 6–8] The documents do not explain whether those entities can independently hold the Homestay certificate or merely constitute the business/operator surrounding a resident owner. Affected properties: professionally managed properties, lease structures, institutional ownership and company/LLP projects. Resolution office: concerned Deputy Director, with Tourism-4 where policy interpretation is required. Status: Confirm this in writing with the authority.

Conflict 4 — foreign-guest reporting terminology

Source A: July 2025 Maharashtra application says C-Form and refers to passport-copy retention. [S2, p. 4] Source B: Immigration and Foreigners Rules, 2025, notified 1 September 2025, require current Form III, include OCI cardholders and prescribe 24-hour arrival/departure reporting plus one-year electronic retention. [S8, Rule 17] Hierarchy/date: later central statutory rules control the national immigration-reporting obligation. Practical treatment: describe the current process as Form III (Earlier Form C) and separately note that Maharashtra's form still instructs passport-copy retention. Status: RESOLVED BY LATER CENTRAL LAW; STATE FORM TERMINOLOGY IS STALE.

Conflict 5 — Tourism Citizen Charter regional contacts

The February 2026 Citizen Charter's regional table contains apparent email/region pairings that do not consistently match the Directorate's current contact page. The Directorate contact page reviewed 24 June 2026 presents region-specific addresses, emails and telephone numbers consistently. [S5] Practical treatment: use the later current Directorate contact page and confirm routing by phone/email where necessary. Status: OFFICIAL CONTACT SOURCES NOT FULLY ALIGNED.

Conflict 6 — eligible-capital-investment look-back

Source A: current Policy incentive notes refer to qualifying investment periods of 5 years for other projects and 7 years for mega/ultra projects in the relevant context. Source B: current §29.5.2 says capital investment made during the last 4 years from commercial operation qualifies. Same current consolidated instrument; no corrigendum resolving it was located. Affected properties: every project claiming capital investment over a multi-year construction/renovation period. Status: The official sources are not aligned.

Conflict 7 — expansion threshold

Source A: current Policy incentive notes use 20% expansion language. Source B: §29.5.3/Annexure C use an expansion level exceeding 50%. Affected properties: running registered Homestays adding rooms or undertaking major revamp. Status: The official sources are not aligned.

15 / Unresolved questions for the authority

Take the remaining questions to the authority

1. Which GR/order formally amended the 18 July 2024 Tourism Policy into `Final-Amended-policy-17.06.25.pdf`, and did it intentionally remove “Homestays” from the Annexure-C B&B/Homestay/Vacation definition?
2. What are the current minimum and maximum number of guest rooms permitted for a Homestay?
3. What is the current maximum number of guest beds/overnight guests?
4. Is there a distinction between total rooms in the owner's home and rooms permitted to be registered for tourists?
5. Is Maharashtra domicile/permanent residence/local residency required of an ordinary Homestay owner, or is actual residence in the Homestay property sufficient?
6. What constitutes “owner present”? Must the owner use the property as his/her ordinary residence continuously, and what temporary absences are permissible?
7. Can a company, LLP, partnership, trust or other entity shown in the application be the Homestay registration certificate holder? If yes, how is the owner-presence requirement satisfied?
8. Can a tenant/long-term lessee be the registration holder? If yes, what minimum lease term, owner's NOC and title documents are required?
9. May a resident owner retain the certificate while appointing a professional management company as operator? Which party may contract with guests and collect accommodation revenue?
10. May a caretaker substitute for the owner at any time, and is caretaker/staff police verification required?
11. For joint/inherited properties, whose signatures/NOCs are required from co-owners or heirs?
12. Which current definition of Vacation Home controls: Annexure C of the amended Tourism Policy or the July 2025 application defining a whole-home/no-host arrangement?
13. What current Homestay inspection checklist is used by Directorate officers?
14. Is there a prescribed service-delivery period for Homestay applications, and if so under which notified instrument?
15. What is the validity period of a Homestay registration certificate?
16. What is the renewal window, renewal fee and renewal application route?
17. What is the statutory/administrative review or appeal route against refusal, suspension or cancellation?
18. How must an applicant amend a certificate after adding/removing rooms, changing ownership, changing operator or changing the legal business entity?
19. How is registration treated on death/succession, sale of the property or transfer to a new owner?
20. For older lawful buildings without a conventional completion certificate, which alternative building documents does DoT accept?
21. Is a Fire NOC required for every Homestay, or only where building/fire-law thresholds independently trigger it?
22. Which Maharashtra body/process issues the Green Leaf Rating registration required by S2; what rating level, fee, validity and timing are required?
23. Must Green Leaf Rating be completed before the Homestay certificate is issued, or may it be completed after registration but before operation?
24. What exact sequence does DoT require between Mahabooking, state Homestay registration, NIDHI registration, DoT data verification and Pledge certificate?
25. Will a current Udyam Registration Certificate satisfy the Homestay form's legacy “Udyog Aadhaar” field?
26. Which Policy provision controls eligible-investment timing: the 5/7-year language or §29.5.2's 4-year rule?
27. Which expansion threshold controls a running Homestay incentive claim: 20% or more than 50%?
28. Is there an authoritative district-to-DoT-regional-office mapping for Homestay applications?
29. Where is the current complete Bed & Breakfast Scheme/rulebook referred to by the current website/Charter, and what is the controlling boundary between B&B and Homestay?
30. Is there any current room-rate display, invoice-format, domestic-guest retention or periodic tourism-statistics requirement not reproduced in `homestay.pdf`?