NSFAS-accredited accommodation for UP students
The University of Pretoria is unusually well served for private student accommodation, because Hatfield has been a student suburb for decades. That is good for choice and bad for complacency: the volume of listings makes it easy to sign something before checking whether it is accredited. Details in this guide are accurate as of the time of writing in 2026; NSFAS allowances, accredited-provider lists and application dates change year to year, so always confirm current details on nsfas.org.za or with UP's financial aid office.
What NSFAS accreditation actually means
NSFAS is explicit about this: a funded student who lives in unaccredited accommodation without permission from both NSFAS and their institution will not be paid an accommodation allowance, and the provider will not be paid either. Accreditation is not a marketing badge. It is the condition on which the money moves.
Accommodation providers register their properties on the NSFAS accommodation portal. NSFAS then sends a panel to inspect, accredit and grade the property against its living standards. A landlord who says they are accredited should be able to tell you their accreditation details, and your institution can confirm them.
UP campuses and the suburbs around them
Most UP faculties sit on or near Hatfield, which is why the accommodation market is concentrated there. The health sciences and education campuses are the exceptions.
- Hatfield (Main Campus) — Hatfield, Hillcrest, Brooklyn and Arcadia, much of it walkable
- Groenkloof (Education) — Groenkloof and Brooklyn
- Prinshof (Health Sciences) — Prinshof, Riviera and Arcadia, near Steve Biko Academic Hospital
- Onderstepoort (Veterinary Science) — well north of the city, a genuinely separate commute
- Hatfield is walkable and served by the Gautrain, which is the main reason its rents sit above the rest of Pretoria.
What to confirm before you sign
Hatfield has a lot of stock and a lot of turnover, so verify rather than assume:
- Is the property accredited by NSFAS for this academic year?
- Exact rent and what is included — in Hatfield, prepaid electricity is often extra
- Who covers the gap if rent exceeds your allowance
- Whether UP pays the provider directly or the allowance comes to you
- Deposit and the conditions for its return, in writing
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See accommodation near UPFrequently asked questions
Is Hatfield accommodation NSFAS accredited?
Some of it is. Hatfield has more private student accommodation than anywhere else in Pretoria, but accreditation is granted property by property. Filter for NSFAS and confirm the specific property with the UP financial aid office.
What happens if I move into a place that is not accredited?
NSFAS will not pay an accommodation allowance for unaccredited accommodation unless both NSFAS and your institution have given permission, and the provider will not be paid. You would be covering the rent yourself. Confirm accreditation with your financial aid office before you sign anything.
Does NSFAS pay my landlord or me?
It depends on your institution. Some pay accredited providers directly; others release the allowance to the student, who then pays the landlord. Your financial aid office will tell you which applies to you.
How do I check a landlord is really accredited?
Ask for their accreditation details and check them with your institution. A DigsConnect listing showing the NSFAS badge has been checked by our team, but your institution is the final word, because accreditation can lapse between academic years.