2. Know Your Room Sizes- Legal vs. Logical
While NSFAS provides room-sharing guidelines based on square meterage, actual demand tells a different story.
Legal Guidelines
19m ²+ → 3 students 14m ² – 18.9m ² → 2 students Below 14m ² → 1 student
But what works on paper doesn’ t always work in practice.“ Student preferences vary widely,” I shared during the session.“ In some areas, 3-bed rooms fill up fast. In others, we had to scale back to 2-bed setups to avoid vacancies.”
Takeaway
Let demand shape your room configurations, the legal maximum capacity doesn’ t guarantee marketability.
3. Grey Areas: En-suites, Cupboards & Floor Space
What counts as floor space isn’ t always clear.
• Built-in cupboards: Some inspectors deduct their footprint, others don’ t.
• En-suite bathrooms: Often counted, but not always consistently.
• Measurement method: Varies— some go wall-to-wall, others exclude fittings.
Bottom line
Until NSFAS enforces standardised guidelines, your best move is to prepare detailed floor plans and be ready to justify them in person.
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