Semester Study Abroad

Services: Off-campus accommodation: Overview

This housing is available to Semester Study Abroad students only. If you are not coming to UCT on exchange through one of the following partner programmes (Arcadia, CIEE, Ida Cooper Associates, IES or InterStudy) then you are eligible for housing placement through our service.

The University of Cape Town has very little on-campus housing space and it is for this reason that we are unable to house our semester study abroad students in the university's residence halls. Instead, the International Academic Programmes Office (IAPO) has sought out secure, suitably furnished private accommodation within walking distance of the campus for our study abroad students. These rooms are sold in a block for the semester period.

Important

• If you use IAPO-secured housing, you are committed to the full semester lease period. You may not come to Cape Town and decide after a couple of days/weeks/months that you are going to move in with friends or make any other alternative accommodation plans. If you do this you will be liable for the full rent for the semester. Landlords will request that you sign a lease for the time you are residing in their house. The lease periods are typically: 1st semester beginning Feb - mid June (last day of 2nd quarter) and 2nd semester mid July - mid December (last day of 4th quarter). These dates will change slightly each year as they are dependant on the semester dates. Please click here to view our calender.
• You are required to pay a ZAR3000.00 housing deposit. This is used to secure your room prior to your arrival in Cape Town. This will be deducted from your full rent figure, which is due on arrival in the house.
• The balance of the rent owed should be paid to the landlord on arrival. Please be prepared to have this money ready within the first few days of your arrival.
• Once in the accommodation, a refundable damages deposit of ZAR2000.00 (over and above the rental amount) must be paid to the landlord on arrival. This amount will be refunded at the end of the semester provided there are no damages or costs incurred. If any money needs to be deducted, the remaining balance will be refunded.

Housing application procedure

There are two parts to the housing application - until both are completed your application will not be processed.

1. The ZAR3000.00 housing deposit must be paid by telegraphic transfer in order to secure your room. (All bank charges to be carried by the student.) Your full name must be entered as the reference (so that we can see who has paid when the money appears in the account).

   * Please note that even if a third party is making the payment on your behalf, it is still your name that should appear as the reference.

   Please scan and email your proof of deposit payment to Jonathan Mitchell. If you are unable to scan and email, please fax it Attention: Jonathan Mitchell to +2721 650 5667.

2. Submission of the online Housing Choice Form.
   * Note: If you apply for housing late and/or no single rooms are available, you will automatically be placed in a double room.

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