Renting out your home in Chikhaldara

Our advice for Chikhaldara

Chikhaldara, in Amravati district, is the only hill station of the Vidarbha region, perched at over a thousand metres on the edge of the Satpura range. It borders the Melghat Tiger Reserve and is also the one place in Maharashtra where coffee is grown. For owners, it is a very different market from the Sahyadri weekend towns near Mumbai and Pune.

Who comes and when

Guests are mostly families and friends from Nagpur, Amravati and the rest of Vidarbha escaping the plains' heat. October to June is the usual visiting period, and the hot months bring people up the hill in search of cooler evenings. Travel is long: the nearest airport is Nagpur and the nearest large railway junction is Badnera, so guests tend to stay two or three nights rather than one.

Setting up a house here

• Bedrooms for families of five or six, extra mattresses and a dining area where everyone can eat together.
• A cook or a clear arrangement with a local kitchen, because restaurant choice is limited.
• Warm blankets for winter nights and fans or coolers for the dry season.
• Printed directions to Gavilgad fort, the viewpoints and the coffee gardens, since mobile coverage can be patchy.

Things to handle carefully

Much of the land around the town is forest or sits close to the tiger reserve. Before buying or converting a building, confirm with the forest and revenue departments that tourist accommodation is permitted there. Night driving on forest roads deserves a warning in your house rules, and guests should never be promised wildlife sightings: safaris are run by the forest department and places are limited.

Heavy rain from July to September slows travel and some guests cancel; decide your cancellation terms before the season, not during it.

Paperwork

Paid accommodation in Maharashtra can bring in registration under the Shops and Establishments Act, and the MTDC Bed and Breakfast / homestay scheme is the formal route many small owners use. Ask the local council which applies to your house.

Our advice: Chikhaldara suits an owner who likes a regional clientele and longer stays. Build for families, keep meals in-house and let the distance work in your favour.