Hotel Rules for Guests: A House Rules Template for Indian Hotels

Why Every Indian Hotel Needs a Written House Rules Policy

A guest at a Jaipur guesthouse smokes in his room. Your front-desk team asks him to stop. He argues there was no sign. You have no written policy. The situation escalates.

That is a problem a one-page house rules notice would have solved at check-in.

Written house rules protect your property in four ways:

• Legal standing. A signed GRC acknowledging the rules is evidence the guest was informed. Without it, your position in a consumer complaint weakens.
• Smoother front-desk conversations. When a rule is on paper, staff apply a written policy rather than making a personal judgment.
• Statutory compliance. COTPA 2003 requires specific smoking signage. State tourism registrations sometimes ask for a copy of your house rules.
• OTA accuracy. MakeMyTrip and Booking.com ask you to declare check-in times, pet policy and smoking policy. These should match your written rules exactly.

Display the rules at the front desk, in each guest room, and on your website. Many properties also include a summary in the WhatsApp booking confirmation.

Check-In, Check-Out and Room Timings

Standard practice is check-in at 14:00 and check-out at 11:00 or 12:00. These are commercial decisions, not statutory requirements. Your policy should state early check-in and late check-out charges clearly (a typical late check-out runs at 50% of the room rate up to 18:00, and 100% after that). Clarify whether day-use bookings run on a 24-hour clock or end at a fixed checkout time regardless of arrival. Add a room-readiness caveat so early arrivals know they may need to wait in the lobby. See our guide on the hotel check-in process for the full front-desk workflow.

ID Proof and Guest Registration Requirements

Every guest must present a valid government-issued photo ID at check-in. The GRC (Guest Registration Card) cannot be completed without it. Accepted documents: Aadhaar card (or e-Aadhaar), Passport, Voter ID, or Driving Licence. PAN card is not accepted as a sole identity proof because it carries no residential address.

A note on Aadhaar: as of August 2026, Aadhaar is not mandatory for hotel check-in; any other valid government photo ID is equally acceptable (Business Today, 30 Aug 2026). UIDAI has indicated that private entities, including hotels, should not retain a physical photocopy of the Aadhaar card. Guests may show the original or an e-Aadhaar via DigiLocker. If your property verifies Aadhaar electronically, do so only through UIDAI-approved channels.

Local ID rules: some properties state they will not accept guests from the same city or district ("local ID policy"). This is a private commercial policy, not a statutory requirement. No Indian law requires a hotel to maintain such a restriction. Some local police jurisdictions have issued directions to hotels, so the enforcement position varies by city. If you operate such a policy, state it clearly in your house rules and on your OTA listings to avoid check-in disputes.

Foreign nationals must produce a valid Passport and Visa. The hotel must also complete Form C (the foreigner registration form) for each foreign guest within 24 hours of check-in. See also our guide on the GRC and Form C requirements for the full procedure. A hotel PMS that includes a Police and Form C page keeps these records organised and ready to submit.

Unmarried Couples and Guest Privacy

No Indian law prohibits consenting adults from sharing a hotel room, regardless of marital status. There is no statute that creates such a prohibition. Hotels that refuse unmarried couples do so as a private commercial decision.

The Supreme Court affirmed the right to privacy under Article 21 in Justice K.S. Puttaswamy v. Union of India (2017) and recognised personal liberty in intimate relationships in S. Khushboo v. Kanniammal (2010). These rulings do not bind private hotels directly, but they set the backdrop against which a refusal may be challenged.

Practical points: a couple refused a room may file a complaint under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019. Make your couples policy visible on your OTA listings so guests know before they travel. An unstated refusal policy creates the worst outcome: a stranded guest and a public negative review. If you have concerns about a specific booking, apply your normal ID and visitor procedures. There is no need for a blanket policy.

Visitor Policy

Unregistered visitors in guest rooms cause noise complaints, security concerns, and disputes over room occupancy charges. The standard approach: daytime visitors are welcome in the lobby and restaurant; unregistered visitors may not enter guest rooms after 22:00 (some resorts extend this to 23:00); visitor ID is recorded at reception. State the cut-off time clearly so front-desk staff are applying a written rule, not a personal judgment.

Smoking, Alcohol and Dry State Rules

Smoking rules under COTPA 2003

The Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act 2003 (COTPA) prohibits smoking in all public areas of a hotel: lobby, corridors, lifts, restaurants and any shared space. Hotels with 30 or more rooms may maintain a Designated Smoking Area (DSA): a physically enclosed room with floor-to-ceiling walls, adequate ventilation, and "Smoking Area" signage. No food, beverages or tobacco products may be served inside it. Hotels under 30 rooms have no DSA entitlement; smoking is prohibited throughout. Violations carry a ₹200 fine under Section 4.

Guest rooms are not explicitly exempted by COTPA. Most properties either prohibit smoking in all rooms or designate specific floors, with a cleaning fee for violations.

Alcohol policy

Serving alcohol requires a valid state excise licence. As of November 2026, full prohibition applies in Gujarat (since 1960), Bihar (since 2016), Nagaland (since 1989), Mizoram (under the 2019 Act) and the union territory of Lakshadweep. Parts of Manipur have restricted zones. Most states also declare dry days for elections and national holidays; check your state excise department's calendar each year.

Your house rules should state whether the property serves alcohol, your licence status, and that the hotel is not responsible for the consequences of a guest's personal alcohol consumption.

Pets, Children and Accessibility

No Indian law requires a hotel to accept pets. State your policy clearly on MakeMyTrip and Booking.com so guests know before they book. If you do accept pets, charge a refundable deposit (typically ₹1,000 to ₹3,000), designate specific rooms, and restrict pets from dining and pool areas.

For children, your OTA listing and house rules should specify the complimentary age (typically up to 5 or 6 years), the extra bed or baby cot charge per night, and the maximum number of extra beds per room type.

Under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act (RPwD Act) 2016, hotels must make reasonable accessibility provisions. If you have accessible rooms, state what is available. If a guest requests one and you have none, say so at the booking stage, not at check-in.

Damage, Valuables and Liability

Your rules need to cover four situations clearly:

• Guest damages hotel property: the guest is liable. Document damage with photos before charging.
• Cash or jewellery goes missing from an unlocked room: the hotel is not liable unless the item was deposited in the in-room safe or at the front desk with a written receipt.
• Belongings left after check-out: store for [30] days, attempt to contact the guest, then hand unclaimed items to local police.
• Theft reported during the stay: guest reports to front desk; hotel assists with the police complaint and preserves any CCTV footage.

The GRC signature means the guest acknowledged these terms. Keep signed GRC records for at least three years for GST and dispute-resolution purposes. See our guide on writing a hotel cancellation policy for advance-deposit forfeiture wording, which pairs with this section.

Quiet Hours and Common Area Rules

Noise complaints between guests are one of the most common front-desk problems. Set quiet hours (typically 22:00 to 07:00), state pool and gym hours with any supervision requirements, and give a restaurant last-orders time. For events, require prior written approval for amplified music. State that the hotel reserves the right to ask a guest to vacate without a refund for serious or repeated violations. All of these appear in the template below.

Full House Rules Template

Copy this template, fill in the [placeholders], print on your letterhead, and display at the front desk and in every guest room.

Frequently Asked Questions