DURBAN, KwaZulu-Natal — Residents across Durban are raising the alarm over the rapid conversion of family homes into unregulated student accommodation, warning that the trend is creating dangerous “student slums” in once-quiet residential neighborhoods. Leading the charge is Niki Moore, a local resident and petition starter who is demanding tighter municipal enforcement and immediate investigations into the accreditation of non-compliant student accommodation facilities.
Moore emphasized that the petition is not opposed to the creation of student housing, acknowledging the genuine need for safe, secure, and compliant accommodations. Instead, the backlash is specifically targeted at residential houses being converted without the necessary planning permissions and regulatory compliance. According to Moore, “extractive landlords” are purchasing standard two- or three-bedroom homes and retrofitting them into dormitories, cramming 25 to 30 students into spaces never designed for such capacity.
The issue is most prevalent within a two- to four-kilometer radius of central residential suburbs surrounding higher education institutions. Moore identified the affected areas as those near the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s (UKZN) Edgewood and Howard College campuses, as well as neighborhoods surrounding the Durban University of Technology (DUT) and various TVET colleges. While the problem was first noticed around 2019 following changes to the NSFAS funding model, Moore described the situation as a “complete epidemic” since 2023. What began as a list of 87 reported properties has now ballooned to more than 1,400 non-compliant properties across just three or four suburbs.
Strict and fair regulations already exist for converting residential properties. Owners are required to submit building plans, provide adequate space and ablutions per student, ensure sufficient parking, and maintain recreation areas and kitchens. Furthermore, conversions require neighbor consent or formal rezoning, and an on-site manager or supervisor must be present. Crucially, permission to operate as student accommodation is temporary; the property must be able to revert to a standard residential home if sold or if the use changes.
However, Moore detailed widespread violations of these rules. Landlords are reportedly erecting prefabricated rooms, ripping out walls to create makeshift dormitories, and even converting bathrooms into sleeping quarters, leaving students to rely on a hose pipe in the backyard for ablutions. With recreation areas eliminated, students are forced to socialize, eat, and drink on the pavements, creating significant safety hazards.
Despite residents reporting these issues for up to six years, municipal action has been largely ineffective. While municipal inspectors have issued numerous stop orders and cease-and-desist letters, property owners routinely ignore them. When cases are escalated to enforcement divisions, Moore noted that “nothing ever happens.” The unchecked developments have led to the overloading of civic infrastructure, unauthorized construction of multi-story blocks without plans, sewage overflows, and persistent rubbish accumulation.
The most immediate friction point for neighbors, however, is the severe noise pollution. Weekend parties, constant taxi traffic, and instances of students urinating on the pavement have become commonplace. Compounding the frustration is the fact that many property owners are absentee landlords residing in Dubai, Johannesburg, or other parts of Durban. These owners allegedly remain unaware or indifferent to the conditions on their properties, often becoming abusive or entirely unresponsive when confronted by neighbors.
Adding to the severity of the situation, Moore raised concerns about the financial mechanisms behind these acquisitions. A significant number of these properties are reportedly purchased in cash, leading to suspicions that the real estate conversions are being used to launder money obtained through illicit means.
As the petition gains traction and highlights a crisis that residents say is now spreading across the country, pressure is mounting on local government to intervene. The municipality of eThekwini will be given an opportunity to respond to the allegations of enforcement failures and the growing epidemic of illegal student housing conversions.