Short-term rental in Gujarat

Gujarat's rental demand is led by Ahmedabad, a commercial city with textile, pharmaceutical and trading businesses, a large student population and GIFT City rising nearby. Visitors include business travellers, families attending weddings, NRIs from the United Kingdom, the United States and East Africa, and tourists interested in the old city's pols, the Sabarmati Ashram and the riverfront.

Festivals and family visits

Navratri is the high point, with nine nights of garba drawing visitors and returning diaspora, followed by Diwali and the kite festival of Uttarayan in January. The cooler months are the most comfortable; summer is very hot. Families often travel in groups and look for larger homes with several bedrooms, parking and a kitchen, and some guests prefer vegetarian-friendly arrangements. Business visitors, by contrast, travel alone or in pairs, stay on weekdays and ask for a desk, good connectivity and a short commute to their meetings.

Rules to know

Gujarat has a Policy for Registration of Homestay Establishments (revised in 2020), administered by the Commissioner of Tourism. Registration is voluntary. To qualify, the owner and their family must physically reside in the same residence, with one to six rooms (up to twelve beds) offered to guests; certificates are valid for two years and renewable. Leased properties are only considered where the government is the lessor.

The policy therefore does not cover an unoccupied flat run by a manager. Before listing such a property, owners should check with the Commissionerate of Tourism, and with their housing society, which rules apply.

Sources: Gujarat Tourism – Policy for Registration of Homestay Establishments, revised 2020 (gujarattourism.com).

Areas in Gujarat

Useful for owners in Gujarat