Student Housing Standards: What You Need to Know About Safe, Affordable Dorms and Off-Campus Living
When you’re starting university, your student housing standards, the minimum rules and conditions that define safe, healthy, and affordable places for students to live while studying. Also known as student accommodation guidelines, these standards aren’t just paperwork—they’re what keep you safe, dry, and able to focus on your degree. Too many students end up in places with no running water, broken locks, or landlords who ignore repairs. That’s not normal. It’s not okay. And it’s not what the law says you deserve.
These student housing standards, the minimum rules and conditions that define safe, healthy, and affordable places for students to live while studying. Also known as student accommodation guidelines, these standards aren’t just paperwork—they’re what keep you safe, dry, and able to focus on your degree. Too many students end up in places with no running water, broken locks, or landlords who ignore repairs. That’s not normal. It’s not okay. And it’s not what the law says you deserve.
It’s not just about dorms. Whether you’re renting a room in a house near campus, sharing a flat in Soweto, or living in a university-owned complex, your housing should meet basic requirements: clean water, working electricity, proper waste removal, and security. In South Africa, the off-campus housing, private rental accommodations used by students outside university-owned residences. Also known as student rentals, these places often lack oversight, making it harder to enforce rights. is especially tricky. Landlords aren’t always required to follow the same rules as universities, so you have to know what’s legal. For example, your landlord can’t cut your power because you’re late on rent. You can’t be forced to pay for water you never used. And if the roof leaks every time it rains, that’s not just annoying—it’s a violation.
Then there’s dormitory regulations, official rules set by universities or government bodies that govern on-campus student residences. Also known as campus housing rules, these are usually clearer because the institution is directly responsible. Most universities have them posted online or in student handbooks. They cover things like noise limits, visitor hours, cleaning schedules, and who’s allowed to enter your room. But even here, things go wrong. Some dorms are overcrowded. Some have no laundry facilities. Some still use shared bathrooms with no hot water. You shouldn’t have to accept that.
And don’t forget housing safety, the physical and environmental conditions that protect students from harm in their living spaces. Also known as student safety standards, this includes fire exits, secure doors, working smoke alarms, and access to emergency help. There have been real cases in South Africa where students lost their lives because a dorm had no fire escape or a landlord blocked the only exit. That’s not a housing issue—it’s a human rights issue.
What you’ll find below are real stories and reports from students across the country. Some are about dodgy landlords who took deposits and vanished. Others are about students who fought back and got their water fixed. There’s one about a group in Pretoria who forced their university to upgrade their dorms after a mold outbreak. And another about a student in Cape Town who started a petition after her room had no window. These aren’t just anecdotes. They’re proof that change happens when people speak up.
