Students at the University Of Zimbabwe are paying as much as $1,200 or USD 40 to stay in wooden cabins. Landlords have increased rentals to match the rental charged by the University for their official residence.
A wooden cabins is a temporary shelter usually used by people who are constructing a permanent shelter or who are temporarily staying a a certain place.
According to students interviewed by Savanna News, the average rentals per month for a room is USD 80. Other landlords are charging as much as USD 120 per month per head. On an average a room accommodates four students.
The increase in rentals was sparked by an increase semester rentals for the University’s official residence. When the semester opened in January, the rentals charged by the university were equivalent to USD 380. A semester has a total of four months. The average implied rentals would be USD 95 per month by the university including breakfast and supper.
The increase in the cost of accommodation by the university resulted in a proportionate increase in rentals by landlords in Mt Pleasant area.
Students have been airing their displeasure through the Student Representative Council to pressurise the University to try and find alternative accommodation for the students.