Much like every year, the Delhi University admission season has begun and scores of outstation students are planning to shift to the Capital to pursue undergraduate and postgraduate courses. With this, what also begins is the big hunt for the perfect paying guest (PG) accommodation. But, gone are the times when Wi-Fi speed and proximity to the college or Delhi Metro station used to dominate the priority list of youngsters. This year, the annual PG scouting parameters have taken a stark, serious turn due to the recent alarming fire incidents across NCR with fire safety topping the checklist of most.PG owners who have secured and updated fire safety certifications are demanding a distinct premium from aspirants. (Photo: ChatGPT (AI generated for representational purposes only))A series of recent fire incidents, often triggered by short circuits and fault in air conditioning units, is leading the aspirants and parental expectations change their description of requirements while searching for accommodations. From heavy-duty fire safety equipment to ironclad proof of regular AC maintenance, the youngsters are checking it all. “I am from Indore yet have not been able to ignore the numerous fire incidents in Delhi that are being reported almost every other day. These have made my parents nervous to the extent that they have tagged along with me in my PG search and we are seeing all options much in advance so that they are sure of the safety measures being taken at the places we finalise for my stay,” says Akshat Verma, a DU aspirant, adding, “While looking at a few cheaper options among the old constructions around Outram Lines, we noticed that the staircases were so narrow that two people couldn’t even pass at the same time, and there wasn’t a single extinguisher in sight. So I told the broker I was consulting that I’d rather live in a slightly smaller room or a bit farther from college, as long as he shows me options where the building has a clear fire escape route and has undergone safety drills. After all, you can’t put a price on your life.”‘Ensure the AC won’t blast’Delhi’s scorching heat has in the recent past resulted in quite a few cases of AC fires, which led to its blast due to overuse or faulty electrical circuit usually due to lack of timely servicing. With this, the fears of air conditioner short-circuits and compressor explosions have become a major anxiety point for future college students.“When studying inside the rooms, of course the AC will be on and we end up running it for longer hours as compared to other paying guests who may be office goers. Hence I asked the landlord directly for a proof of the last servicing date of the AC unit in the room they were offering me, and also requested to allow a technician to visit and inspect the AC in front of me before the final date of moving in the accommodation. It’s definitely a deal breaker.” points out Priyanshi Chhetri, a first-year student from Siliguri, who is searching for a place near DU’s South Campus.This doesn’t stop at the young, for the elders are worried, too. “My daughter is moving from Guwahati and having heard or seen the horror stories of AC units bursting due to overheating have left me and my husband incredibly anxious about our daughter’s decision,” shares Mukta Sharma, a parent who is looking for a rented apartment in GTB Nagar. Sharma adds, “We aren’t looking at the cooling capacity anymore; we are looking at the wiring and if that gets a green signal from the fire safety expert. We have to ensure that the AC won’t blast!”Landlords feel pressure to comply In student hubs like Hudson Lane and Vijay Nagar near North Campus, landlords are also reporting an unprecedented wave of hyper-specific queries regarding fire safety infrastructure. “Parents walking into the premises these day are almost immediately asking about the expiry date of the fire extinguishers installed,” says Ramesh Gupta, a PG owner in Kamla Nagar.Amit Singh, who manages a 20-room girls’ PG in Satya Niketan near South Campus, notes that regular maintenance of AC has become a major selling point now. “Earlier, we would service the ACs once a year casually. Now, during the room tours, we actively show parents the digital service logs of our power inverters and air conditioners. Assuring them that the stabilisers are high-quality and the wiring can handle the voltage load as this is the only way to seal the deal.”Premium price for peace of mind?The shifting focus towards safety is also altering the rental economics of accommodations situated in neighbourhoods that are often considered student hubs. PG owners who have secured and updated fire safety certifications or have undergone complete electrical audits are demanding a distinct premium.“We genuinely want to keep our tenants safe, but setting up a foolproof system costs a lot of money and that we can’t spend entirely from our own pockets,” says Sarthak Malhotra, who runs a boys’ PG near Bungalow Road near Kamla Nagar. He adds, “To ensure every floor has modern MCB switches, which won’t trip, as well as proper certified wiring that can take the heavy load and fire cylinders that are actually updated and working, we had to overhaul the whole building this year. Even getting the ACs deeply serviced by company technicians every few months is an extra expense. Naturally, we had to then increase the rent. A double-sharing room that we would earlier rent out for ₹12,000 is now touching almost ₹14,500 whereas a single occupancy room that earlier went for ₹15,000 is difficult to avail below ₹17,000 now. I have noticed that this time the parents aren’t even bargaining. Probably, they just want peace of mind that their child is safe.”For more, follow HT City Delhi Junction