‘This is residential society, not hotel’: Airbnb-style daily rentals spark protest by Ghaziabad’s Windsor Park residents

GHAZIABAD: Residents of Vaibhav Khand Windsor Park Society took to the streets on Sunday to protest against the alleged conversion of residential flats into Airbnb-style short-term rental units, claiming that the constant movement of outsiders was affecting the atmosphere and raising security concerns for families.Residents staged a peaceful protest near Gate No. 1, holding posters and raising slogans against the RWA. They submitted a joint complaint to the District Magistrate, Police Commissioner, GDA, Nagar Nigam and Tourism Department, seeking an independent investigation into the alleged activities.What is Airbnb?Airbnb is an online platform that allows people to rent rooms, apartments and other properties for short stays. Depending on the listing, these stays can range from a few days to shorter periods.Residents alleged that flats in the society were being offered to outsiders on a daily or short-term basis. They questioned the practice particularly in the studio apartments in Towers A and B. According to residents, the two towers have around 270 studio apartments, while the society has around 770 flats in total.Protesters alleged that dozens of flats were being occupied by people on daily or short-term rentals and claimed that, in some cases, occupants were staying without police verification and necessary registration. Residents said the movement of unknown people had become a concern for families living in the society.‘Safety is at risk because of outsiders’ movement’Amit Gera, who participated in the protest, alleged that flats in the Kabana Tower studio apartments were being rented out on a daily basis and even for a few hours, affecting the security of the society. He said it was necessary to keep a check on the movement of unknown people.Raina said residents should not be allowed to rent out rooms for a few hours within the society.Sadhna Mishra said, “This is a residential society, not a hotel.”Residents also alleged that some occupants of short-stay flats created a ruckus late at night. Complaints included alleged alcohol consumption inside vehicles in the parking area, verbal abuse and physical altercations.Protesters further alleged that bottles had been thrown from windows and that women and girls had faced lewd comments. Residents cited a recent FIR concerning a young woman who was allegedly found unconscious and injured in flat B-1001 and questioned the security arrangements in the society.The circumstances of that incident and whether it was connected to any short-term rental activity are subject to investigation.Residents question RWA functioningProtesters questioned the functioning of RWA president Reena Patnaik and secretary Vineet Garg. They alleged that commercial rental activities were being encouraged through alleged collusion between some individuals associated with the RWA and property operators.Some residents also alleged that individuals associated with the secretary were purchasing or renting apartments and subsequently offering them for short-term rentals. These allegations have not been independently confirmed.Residents said that despite complaints, the RWA had not put in place a clear policy or taken effective action against the alleged activities.Residents seek action from authoritiesResidents have sent complaints to the District Magistrate, Police Commissioner, GDA vice-president and Tourism Department, seeking their intervention.They demanded that flats allegedly operating without the required registration and police character certificates under the Uttar Pradesh Homestay and B&B Policy 2025 be investigated and that action be taken if violations are found.Residents also demanded that such flats be closed or sealed, if necessary. They have asked the RWA to provide details of tenants, rent agreements and police verification records.RWA says it does not support Airbnb activitiesRWA president Reena Patnaik said that, according to the information available to her, no Airbnb-like activities were being carried out in the society.She said the RWA had never supported such activities and that a board prohibiting Airbnb had also been installed on the premises.Patnaik said that if a complaint against any flat was received along with concrete evidence, and police action required the RWA’s cooperation, the association would provide full support.Residents who participated in the protest included Amit Gera, Alok Lal, Rajiv Kumar Jain, Shobhit Tyagi, Megha Dey, SP Arya, Ravi Tanuja, Rajiv Verma, Nidhi Jain, Sagar Gulati, Mohit Agarwal, Bhuvnesh Pandey, Piyush Mishra, Narendra Chaudhary, Raina Dixit, Sadhna Mishra, Sandeep Mishra, Shalini Saxena, Sanjeev Saxena, Shalini Khurana, Vandana Gera, Shweta Singh, Manish Sinha, Ravi Arora, Avinash, Deepak Dhawan and Ankit Verma, among other residents.Residents warned that if the issue was not resolved soon, they would expand the protest.You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Ghaziabad | Silver Rate in Ghaziabad | Bank Holidays in Ghaziabad | Public Holidays in Ghaziabad | Ghaziabad AQI | Weather in Ghaziabad | Petrol Price in Ghaziabad | Diesel Price in Ghaziabad | CNG Price in Ghaziabad | LPG Price in GhaziabadStay updated with the latest Ghaziabad news. 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