PG spaces struggling, some shutting down

Paying guest hostels are scaling down, and some are closing down for good.

With sharing of rooms now considered risky, most students and young professionals have gone back to their home- towns. A majority of professionals are now working from home.

Owners say they sanitise their spaces regularly and screen hostellers, but business has never been this dull.

Zolo Asmi, near Yashomati Hospital, Marathahalli, had about 40 hostellers before the pandemic broke out. Only 15 have stayed back. Suraj Bohara, caretaker, says all spaces, including the lifts and railings, are sanitised, but people are wary.

Shreeraksha PG, Kengeri, has room for 50, but only 12 remain. The pandemic has resulted in a drastic fall in business, says owner Suhas Sriram. His mother Sujatha gives an immunity booster drink every day to hostellers, doing her bit to keep them healthy. “We give ‘kashaya’ made of turmeric, ginger, jeera, pepper, ashwagandha and amruthaballi,” he adds.

Regular screening of occupants is done and masks are mandatory at the premises, Suhas says.

‘No room sharing’

Rainbow Grand, a ladies’ PG accommodation in RR Nagar, has space for 100 but occupancy is at 20.

Larger rooms were shared by three or four occupants. They are closed now.

Rajesh Naidu, owner, says, “Only single or twin occupancy is available now,” he says.

The hostel has different floors for students and working professionals so that they don’t mix. “And we are not allowing visitors from outside,” he says.

Naidu says his investment in the hostel is Rs 35 lakh and his monthly rent Rs 3 lakh. “We can’t increase rents for those staying in our rooms, and so we are bearing the burden,” he says.

His landlords may give a discount of Rs 50,000 on the rent, but that is not enough to see the hostel through this downturn, he says.

Closing doors

Sibal PG, Indiranagar, had 80 residents but only six remain. “Some have vacated while others have left their belongings here and are paying rent,” says Sandeep, who runs the hostel.

Rents are unaffordable, he says, and his hostel may scale down. He was overseeing five buildings, of which he plans to retain only one.

“We will see till December if business picks up. We also have a lot of furniture with us which can’t be disposed of immediately,” he says.

Lakshmi PG worked from three buildings in Marathahalli and Whitefield, with a total capacity of 150. The buildings are empty now,
says owner Muthyala Bhaskar.

“I have been in the PG accommodation business since 2006,” he says, adding that he foresees no major improvement in prospects till next year.

He has decided to close the business for now. “It’s only after the vaccine comes that such shared spaces will be in demand again,” he says.