Short-term rental in West Bengal

West Bengal offers two contrasting markets. Kolkata is a large, culturally rich city with demand from business travellers, families visiting relatives, medical visitors and heritage tourists drawn to its colonial architecture and food. Darjeeling, in the Himalayan foothills, is a classic hill retreat famous for tea gardens, the toy train and views of Kanchenjunga, attracting families, couples and trekkers.

Festivals and hill seasons

Kolkata's defining moment is Durga Puja, when the city fills with visitors and families returning home; winter is its comfortable season. Darjeeling peaks in spring and after the monsoon, when skies clear, and serves as a base for Sikkim and the Dooars. The monsoon is slower in the hills because of rain and road conditions. Heritage flats and family homes in Kolkata, and cottages and tea-estate bungalows around Darjeeling, form the typical supply.

Rules to know

West Bengal regulates homestays through a state policy. The West Bengal Homestay Tourism Policy, 2022 requires the owner or a family member to physically reside in the establishment, allows a maximum of six rooms (twelve beds), and gives the District Magistrate responsibility for registration, with certificates valid for three years. The Tourism Department has since published a West Bengal Homestay Policy, 2026, whose detailed terms we have not yet been able to verify.

Owners should therefore check the current policy with the Department of Tourism before listing, especially if they do not live in the property.

Sources: West Bengal Homestay Tourism Policy, 2022 (as published by WBXPress); Department of Tourism, Government of West Bengal (West Bengal Homestay Policy, 2026, wbtourism.gov.in).

Areas in West Bengal

Useful for owners in West Bengal