Fire NOC for a PG: when you need fire safety clearance and how to get it

Does every PG need a fire NOC?

There is no single national rule. Fire safety is set by each state's fire services law and by the city that licenses your PG. Two things usually decide it: how tall and how large the building is, and whether the city makes fire clearance a condition of the PG's trade licence.

For any other state or city, ask the state fire service and the municipal office that issues your trade licence. Do not rely on a rule from another state.

Fire safety clearance for a PG in Bengaluru

The BBMP order of 7 August 2024 lists ten conditions for issuing or renewing a trade licence for a paying guest accommodation. Condition 7 says it must be ensured that the building has fire safety clearance from the competent authority before the trade licence is granted. Health officers are told to check compliance once every six months. Read all ten conditions on our PG trade licence page.

• Who issues it. The order says "competent authority" without naming it. Fire clearances in Karnataka come from the Karnataka State Fire and Emergency Services. Ask them, or your GBA zonal health office, which clearance they will accept for your building.
• Converted houses count. The condition applies to every PG seeking a trade licence, including a house or flats converted into a PG.
• The rules may tighten. The Karnataka High Court is hearing a batch of cases on PG safety in Bengaluru, led by WP 14750/2025 (M/s Princess Ladies PG v. The Chief Commissioner). It was pending when we checked. Look up the latest order on the High Court's website or ask a lawyer.

Fire NOC for a PG in Hyderabad and Telangana

Section 13 of the Telangana Fire Service Act, 1999 makes anyone who proposes to construct certain buildings apply for a no objection certificate before the building plans go for approval. The authority that approves plans can't approve them without it.

Whether your PG counts as residential or commercial for this rule is not stated in the Act. Ask the fire department before you build or convert.

1. 1

   Apply online

   Applications for a provisional NOC (before construction) and an occupancy NOC (after construction) are made on the Telangana fire services portal, with the fee (process note).

2. 2

   Upload the plans

   Site plan, basement, stilt or ground floor, each floor, terrace, section and elevation plans. The occupancy NOC also needs the provisional NOC.

3. 3

   Site inspection

   For an occupancy NOC, a committee checks gates wide enough for fire engines (at least 4.5 m wide with 5 m head clearance), open spaces around the building, staircases and other means of escape, fire-fighting equipment, emergency lighting and exit signs, and the evacuation plan.

4. 4

   Decision

   The Director General approves or rejects the application and you download the NOC from the portal. The department's time limit is 7 days for buildings under 15 m and 14 days for taller buildings, from a complete application.

What fire safety do PG residents expect, even without an NOC?

Even where your building is below the NOC limits, a self-check built on the points Telangana's fire inspectors look at is sensible for any PG. This is our practical advice, not a legal list:

• Staircases, corridors and exits kept clear, with no beds, cupboards or gas cylinders in them
• Working fire extinguishers on each floor, and staff who know how to use them
• Emergency lighting and exit signs that work in a power cut
• An evacuation plan on the wall of every floor, and residents who know it
• Wiring, meters and panels checked by an electrician, especially where rooms were added

Keep your PG's paperwork and rent in one place

A fire clearance is one item on a longer list. See the full PG licence checklist for the trade licence, FSSAI and GST.

Frequently asked questions