Property owners along Golf Course Road and other parts of Gurugram have sought a policy that would allow residential properties being used for commercial purposes to be formally converted, as the city continues to tighten enforcement against unauthorised commercial activity in residential areas.
More than 50 property owners recently met the town planner (enforcement) and sought a mechanism under which owners could pay prescribed conversion charges and comply with planning and building regulations instead of facing enforcement action. The representation has been forwarded to the authorities for further consideration. No commercial conversion policy has been approved so far.
The demand comes at a time when the use of residential properties for businesses, paying guest accommodation and other commercial activities is under closer scrutiny across Gurugram.
Owners seek a route to regularise commercial use
The property owners have argued that parts of Golf Course Road have changed considerably over the years. They pointed to road widening, increasing traffic and development around the corridor, saying that the character of the area is no longer the same as when several properties were originally developed for residential use.
Under the proposed approach, properties that are already being used commercially could be brought within a formal regulatory framework. Owners would pay the applicable conversion charges and meet specified planning and building requirements.
The proposal is aimed at creating a legal route for existing properties rather than allowing new unauthorised commercial activity. The owners have also argued that businesses operating along the corridor generate employment and contribute to government revenue through taxes and other charges.
For now, however, the proposal remains a representation from property owners and will have to be considered by the state authorities before any policy decision is taken.
Commercial use of homes faces closer scrutiny
The demand comes against a wider enforcement drive in Gurugram's residential colonies. The Department of Town and Country Planning has been taking action against properties where commercial establishments and unauthorised construction have been found in areas meant for residential use.
Recent enforcement has covered DLF phases, Sushant Lok and South City-1, with authorities acting against properties being used for PG accommodation, guest houses, offices and other businesses. In DLF Phase 1 to 5 alone, more than 5,000 properties had been identified with building or land-use violations during the department's survey, with notices issued to property owners.
The enforcement drive has also prompted some owners to remove unauthorised structures voluntarily. More than 100 owners in several colonies have shared photographs and videos with officials showing that violations in stilt areas had been removed.
The developments highlight the growing gap between how some residential properties are officially designated and how parts of the city's established neighbourhoods are being used.
Golf Course Road brings the land-use issue into focus
Golf Course Road is at the centre of the latest demand because of the scale of development that has taken place along the corridor. Property owners have argued that commercial establishments have become part of the area's functioning over several years.
The proposal also reflects a broader question facing established parts of Gurugram: how should authorities deal with properties where surrounding development and actual usage have changed, while the original land-use designation remains residential?
A conversion mechanism could potentially provide a regulatory route for eligible properties if the government decides to consider one. It would also allow authorities to set conditions on which properties could qualify, what charges would apply and what building or planning requirements would have to be met.
At present, there is no indication that all residential properties operating commercially would qualify for such a mechanism. Any future policy would have to determine the areas, property types and conditions under which conversion could be permitted.
Court directions add to the regulatory focus
The debate is also taking place alongside recent court directions concerning commercial activity and building violations in Gurugram's residential colonies.
The Punjab and Haryana High Court recently ruled that the inclusion of licensed colonies within municipal limits does not remove the powers of the DTCP to take action against buildings violating construction rules. The order comes in the wake of objections to illegal construction and conversion of residential houses to commercial use in DLF Phases 1 to 5.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has directed authorities to focus on sealing commercial establishments illegally operating in residential areas, while being wary of selective action.
Against this backdrop, the property owners' demand for a commercial conversion policy puts the focus on whether existing land-use patterns in parts of Gurugram can be brought within a clearer regulatory framework. For now, the next step rests with the authorities considering the representation and deciding whether any formal conversion mechanism should be introduced.
