Thozhi is the state government’s chain of hostels for working women, run by the Tamil Nadu Working Women’s Hostels Corporation (TNWWHCL) under the Social Welfare and Women Empowerment Department. In and around Chennai, the corporation’s website lists hostels at Adyar, Ayanambakkam, Guduvancheri, St. Thomas Mount and Tambaram, with Tiruvallur listed separately. Rooms are booked online, by the day or by the month.
The chain was launched in July 2023, when the state opened hostels in nine districts, The News Minute reported. Demand in Chennai has been high. Here is what the hostels cost, the rules residents sign up to and how to book a bed.
The Chennai-area hostels
The department’s 2024-25 policy note sets out how the network grew:
- Phase 1: new hostels at Tambaram and Guduvanchery (plus Tiruchirappalli) built for ₹31.07 crore to house 687 women, and seven older department hostels retrofitted for ₹4.21 crore to house 458 women.
- Phase 2: St. Thomas Mount, Hosur and Tiruvannamalai, at ₹35.86 crore for 432 women.
- 2024-25: new hostels planned for Chennai, Coimbatore and Madurai, at ₹26 crore for 345 women.
Adyar is one of the older department hostels that was taken over and upgraded. Tambaram is the largest locally: BehanBox reported in April 2025 that 461 of its 473 beds were occupied. The same report found Chennai’s hostels mostly full, except the newer Ayanambakkam site, where residents cited poor transport links.
What it costs
TNWWHCL does not publish a rate card on its home page, and prices vary by hostel and room type. The figures below were reported by BehanBox in April 2025, so treat them as a guide and check the live price when you book.
| Hostel or item | Reported price (April 2025) |
|---|---|
| Tambaram, twin-sharing AC room | ₹10,620 a month |
| Guduvanchery, five-sharing room | ₹4,000 a month |
| Ayanambakkam, four-bunk non-AC dormitory | ₹3,500 a month |
| Short stays, all hostels | ₹350 to ₹1,200 a day |
| Food, if taken | About ₹40 to ₹60 a day |
Rent does not include food. According to the corporation’s FAQ, meals are a prepaid subscription, and non-vegetarian food is available on request at extra cost. Rent runs from the 1st of the month and is due by the 7th, paid by UPI or bank transfer. Cards are not accepted.
The security deposit is 45 days’ rent, refundable after checkout, under the rules and regulations. One-day stays need a ₹1,000 deposit paid with the rent before check-in. The rules also say bookings declared for 90 days or more are not taxed, while shorter stays are. If a 90-day booking ends early, the tax is taken from the deposit.
Facilities and house rules
The Chennai hostels offer Wi-Fi, lifts, CCTV, biometric entry and a pantry with a fridge, microwave and RO water. Some rooms are air-conditioned. Rooms are single, double or shared. Rooms are cleaned every other day, and residents wash their own bed linen.
Rules worth knowing before you sign up:
- Male visitors are not allowed. Other visitors may use only the visitor area, between 9 am and 8 pm, and cannot stay overnight.
- Guest visits need a request at least seven days ahead, approved by the hostel manager.
- The general cut-off time is 10 pm. Shift workers follow their shift timings.
- No cooking or reheating in rooms, and no heaters, coils or iron boxes.
- Alcohol, cigarettes, narcotics and weapons are banned, and breaking these rules can mean forced checkout.
- The manager allots rooms. A paid bed left unoccupied for 15 days may be reassigned.
How to book
- Register on tnwwhcl.in and fill in the KYC details.
- Choose a hostel and room type under “Book Now”, and pay through portal.tnwwhcl.in once the booking is confirmed.
- Carry the same original ID you registered with to check-in, plus two family or guardian phone numbers for emergencies.
- To leave, give at least 15 days’ notice. Missing the notice period costs half a month’s rent from the deposit, and refunds go to your bank account within about 15 working days.
For questions, the contact page gives the phone number 94999 88009 and an administrative office at the Commissionerate of Social Welfare, Lady Willingdon College campus, Kamarajar Salai, Triplicane.
How the model works
The hostels are a public-private arrangement. The state provided land and part of the construction money, the Tamil Nadu Shelter Fund co-financed construction and ran the tender for private operators, and the operators run the hostels without an operating subsidy, according to the World Bank, which supports the programme. It reported occupancy of about 90%.
Quick answers
Is there an income limit for Thozhi hostels?
The corporation’s website and rules do not list one. They are open to working women, and short stays are allowed.
Can I stay for just a few days?
Yes. Daily bookings are allowed, with a ₹1,000 deposit and rent paid before check-in.
Is food included in the rent?
No. Meals are an optional prepaid subscription billed separately.
Information checked against official sources on 18 October 2026. Fees, dates and rules can change; confirm on the linked official pages before acting.
Sources
- Tamil Nadu Working Women’s Hostels Corporation (Thozhi) home page
- Thozhi FAQ (TNWWHCL)
- Thozhi rules and regulations (TNWWHCL)
- Contact (TNWWHCL)
- Policy Note 2024-25, Social Welfare and Women Empowerment Department (Government of Tamil Nadu)
- Tamil Nadu Working Women’s Hostels: a home away from home (World Bank, September 2024)
- Comfort, control, career: a peek into Tamil Nadu’s Thozhi hostels (BehanBox, April 2025)
- Tamil Nadu starts working women hostels in nine districts (The News Minute, July 2023)
