NUST students' accommodation nightmares continue

National University of Science and Technology (Nust) students continue to face accommodation challenges due to an increase in enrolment figures and a delay in the construction of hostels, a new report reveals.

The university's annual report said out-of-campus rented accommodation remains a problem for students, as they continuously clashed with landlords.

"Most landlords are not improving facilities for students and yet they continue to increase rentals in an ad hoc manner," the report read. "Some students were defaulting in paying their rentals, as such landlords and students were encouraged to sign lease agreements to avoid conflicts."

The university's director of marketing and communications, Felix Moyo said the increase in the number of students enrolled each year has failed to tally with available accommodation.

"The increase in enrolment figures has outstripped the provision of accommodation for students and the available hostels cannot cater for all students, we are in the middle of talks with private developers to build and improve the situation," he said.

Moyo said Nust will not allow prospective landlords to advertise and offer accommodation before they were cleared by the university and if their houses were conducive for students to live in.

"We have devised a system where we first inspect the facility to see whether it is conducive for studying," he said.

"We also look at the landlord's personality to see whether they can be a parent to our students."

Moyo said Nust was appealing to landlords, who could offer accommodation within the university's vicinity, to approach the university.

"We have a long list of students in need of accommodation, landlords in Selbourne Park, Kumalo, and Killarney and other areas within the university's vicinity with accommodation should approach the university so that we improve the accommodation situation at Nust," he said.