Owners and managers of student houses believe that problems with this type of accomodation off campus can be solved if everyone works together.
Owners want practical solutions for problems that neighbouring residents are faced with.
Residents of neighbourhoods like Universitas, Willows and Brandwag, where students of the University of the Free State (UFS) live in communes, are up in arms about noise disturbance – especially due to parties that take place.
Neighbours also complain about aggressive behaviour towards them when they go over to some communes to complain. One resident says they recently opened a case at the police after their lives were threatened.
The Multilet Owners Association, which represents 5 000 beds in communes in these neighbourhoods, was created to work towards better guidelines to regulate student houses.
“We want to unite, instead of fight,” says Gert van der Merwe, chairperson.
“The problems with noise can be solved overnight if everybody works together and not against each other. We as an association are totally against noise disturbance and security risks, which go hand in hand.”
Busiswe Ntsele, a member of the association, says she is very strict on discipline.
“Many residents in the communes that I manage and own are medical students, and they need silence to study,” she says.
Van der Merwe says a bylaw was passed by the Mangaung Metro Council in December that forces the owners of student houses to lodge an application for rezoning or special use concession by May.
“We prefer the term commune to that of student house. We don’t see it as a business, because it is used for long-term residential purposes,” Van der Merwe says.
“It is the same as when related people like families rent a property, apart from the fact that residents of a commune are not related.”
Dana Boonzaier, owner of several student houses and member of the association, says a problem that can be anticipated with the new bylaw comes to light when one considers that he applied for the rezoning for some of his houses six years ago.
“Some of my applications were approved, but I am still waiting for the approval of others,” he says.
Van der Merwe says they are glad there now is an official bylaw.
“Until December we only had the Student Housing Governance and Management Policy, gazetted in 2015, as guidance,” he says.
“When the association started out, we tried to get more multilets – like communes for young adults – to be included in the municipal bylaw, along with other recommendations, but this was not done, so communes for working adults are still not regulated.”
Lacea Loader, director of communications and marketing at the UFS, says there are 246 off-campus service providers for students in Bloemfontein, with a bed capacity of 8 562 beds that are registered at the UFS Off-Campus Accommodation Office.
She says an independent body, the Rental Housing Tribunal, resolves disputes between landlords and tenants in residential dwellings.
“As part of the UFS accreditation process, service providers are requested to submit house rules for premises.”
The Multilet Owners Association believes that due to the increasing number of students, which adds to a demand for beds available on the UFS main campus, and also students coming from the eastern side of Mangaung and farther afield with expensive transport costs, the need for accommodation within walking distance from the main campus will keep increasing.
Boonzaier says he lives in the same street in Universitas as some of the communes he owns.
“To me good discipline and the safety of residents are important. We encourage owners of student houses to have a clear sign outside the house with the contact details of the owner or manager.”
