New Delhi: Delhi Assembly Tuesday approved a bill to repeal the nearly two-decade-old law governing bed-and-breakfast (B&B) establishments in the capital, with govt planning to replace it with a new policy framework aimed at making regulations more flexible and suited to the changing hospitality sector.The move follows the June fire at a B&B in Malviya Nagar that claimed 23 lives. The incident had prompted authorities to intensify inspections of B&Bs and other hospitality establishments, with a focus on compliance with fire safety requirements, building norms and other regulations.More than 750 B&B properties are registered with the Delhi tourism department under the existing legislation.Tourism minister Kapil Mishra said the existing framework needed to be replaced with a more flexible policy to keep pace with changes in the tourism and hospitality industry. The Delhi Bed and Breakfast Establishments (Repeal) Bill, 2026, states that a comprehensive replacement policy will be placed before council of ministers for approval.In May, govt had released a draft Bed and Breakfast Policy, 2026, proposing several changes. It has not yet clarified if the final policy will retain all provisions of the draft.The draft proposed dividing B&B establishments into ‘gold’ and ‘silver’ categories based on room size, sanitation, safety measures and services. It also proposed capping a B&B at eight rooms and 16 beds. Only residential properties that have been legally constructed would be eligible for registration, as per the draft. Hotels, lodges, guest houses, serviced apartments, self-catering units and properties offering banquet, resort or other commercial hospitality facilities would remain outside the policy.The draft also sought to prevent B&Bs from functioning like commercial hotels. Restaurants or kitchens serving commercial customers, bars catering to outsiders and hotel-style signage would not be permitted.Under the proposed ‘gold’ category, guest rooms would need to be at least 120 sq ft and provide facilities like wardrobes, study tables, television, filtered drinking water and adequate ventilation and cooling. ‘Silver’ category rooms would have a minimum area of 100 sq ft, along with clean bedding, cooling facilities, filtered water and dedicated or attached bathrooms.New Delhi: The repeal of the law will take effect from a date to be notified by govt in the official gazette. Existing registrations, certificates, approvals and proceedings under the repealed law will continue unless they are in conflict with provisions of the new legislation. The bill also states that fresh registrations and processing of pending applications under the existing Act will remain in abeyance during the transition.