Accommodation suppliers urged to end demanding deposit from NSFAS funded students
Accommodation suppliers urged to end demanding deposit from NSFAS funded students
Blog Article
The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has urged landlords never to require a deposit or top-up payment from NSFAS-funded students.
This comes following NSFAS gained stories about some accommodation companies who demand NSFAS-funded students to pay for a deposit or top-up payment as a way to get entry to the permitted private accommodation.
Friday, February 7, 2025
"NSFAS reminds accommodation vendors from the compulsory conditions, as furnished by the Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Arrangement amongst the personal accommodation companies and NSFAS funded students," NSFAS mentioned in an announcement on Thursday.
The Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement states the lease will likely be paid out regular monthly to your accommodation company (lessor) by NSFAS, on behalf of your lessee (NSFAS funded student), in accordance with the NSFAS conditions and terms for private accommodation suppliers’ participation on the student accommodation portal.
"The lessor may not need or allow the lessee to pay a deposit, top-up payments, or almost every other kinds of payment for the lessor, or any other person in connection with this agreement, which includes payment of lease, though awaiting payment from NSFAS. The lessor shall have no recourse from the click here lessee for any default inside the payment of rent by NSFAS," the arrangement reads.
The NSFAS terms and conditions for private accommodation companies’ participation on the student accommodation portal also states that: "Where the NSFAS-funded student is defunded on account of more info an incorrect determination by NSFAS, the coed will not be responsible for payment of any arrear rent to your accommodation service provider, up till the day of being defunded."
NSFAS spelled out that where the NSFAS-funded student chooses to carry on occupying the leased premises, notwithstanding being defunded by NSFAS, the student will be accountable for payment of lease into the lessor from your date of becoming defunded.
"Where the student click here is defunded by NSFAS due to a misrepresentation by the lessee/guardian at any stage, the student must immediately vacate the leased property; and will be liable for payment of all rent due to the accommodation provider.
"Where the student moves, accommodation providers without the prior approval of click here NSFAS, NSFAS may elect not to pay any rental to the new accommodation provider, and any such rental payments will be for the student own account," the scheme said.
The scheme emphasised that any dispute arising between the website parties regarding the interpretation or implementation of the agreement, must be dealt with in accordance with any dispute resolution procedure determined by NSFAS for this purpose.
From: SAnews.gov.za