Digs vs university res: which is right for you?

What each one actually is

University res is accommodation owned or run by the university: on-campus or close to it, allocated through the university’s residence application, with catered or self-catering options, wardens and house rules. Digs is the private alternative — a room in a shared house or flat, a private student residence, or a studio — that you rent from a landlord or operator, found through platforms like DigsConnect.

Side by side

The trade-offs are consistent from campus to campus.

• Cost — res fees are usually quoted per year and include utilities and sometimes meals; digs is monthly rent plus, often, electricity, Wi-Fi and food. Per month, shared digs is usually the cheapest option, catered res the most expensive, with private res in between. Compare the all-in monthly number, not the headline rent.
• What is included — res: furniture, Wi-Fi, security, cleaning of common areas, often meals. Digs: varies from “everything” in a private residence to “a room and a key” in a shared house.
• Rules and freedom — res has sign-in, visiting hours, quiet hours and wardens. Digs has a lease and a landlord; how you live is otherwise up to you and your housemates.
• Distance — res is on or beside campus. Digs ranges from a five-minute walk in Hatfield or Rondebosch to a taxi ride from a cheaper suburb.
• Social life — res is instant community, especially in first year. Digs is the people you choose, which is better later and lonelier at first if you know nobody.
• Availability — res places are limited, allocated by criteria (first-years, distance from home, academic results) and applied for months in advance. Digs is available all year, but the best rooms near campus go between October and January.
• Lease length — res follows the academic year and you leave in the holidays. Digs leases are usually 10 or 12 months; some residences match the academic calendar.
• NSFAS — both can be covered. University res is funded through the institution; private digs must be NSFAS-accredited. See our NSFAS accreditation guide.

Res is usually the right call if…

• It is your first year and you are moving to a city where you know nobody.
• You want meals and admin handled so you can focus on the adjustment to university.
• You have been offered a place — do not turn it down lightly; you can move to digs in second year, but you cannot easily move the other way.

Digs is usually the right call if…

• You did not get a res place, or the res fee is more than you can fund.
• You already have friends to share with, or you want your own space and your own rules.
• You are a postgrad, mature or part-time student, or you need to stay through the holidays.
• You want a specific suburb, a private bathroom, or to keep a pet — things res cannot offer.

A sensible plan

Apply for res as soon as applications open, even if you are unsure — it costs nothing to decline later. At the same time, start watching digs near your campus so you know what the going rate is and what “good” looks like. If res comes through, take it for first year. If it does not, you already know the market, and you can secure a room before the January rush with the checklist in our guide to finding a student room.