Accommodation suppliers urged to stop demanding deposit from NSFAS funded students
Accommodation suppliers urged to stop demanding deposit from NSFAS funded students
Blog Article
The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has urged landlords to not demand a deposit or top-up payment from NSFAS-funded students.
This comes soon after NSFAS gained stories about some accommodation companies who require NSFAS-funded students to pay for a deposit or top-up payment in an effort to get usage of the approved private accommodation.
Friday, February 7, 2025
"NSFAS reminds accommodation suppliers in the obligatory conditions, as furnished by the Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Arrangement involving the private accommodation suppliers and NSFAS funded students," NSFAS reported in a statement on Thursday.
The Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement states the lease will probably be paid out month to month to your accommodation supplier (lessor) by NSFAS, on behalf in the lessee (NSFAS funded student), in accordance with the NSFAS terms and conditions for personal accommodation vendors’ participation on the student accommodation portal.
"The lessor may not require or permit the lessee to pay for a deposit, top-up payments, or any other sorts of payment on the lessor, or another person in connection with this arrangement, which include payment of rent, while awaiting payment from NSFAS. The lessor shall have no recourse towards the lessee for any default inside the payment of rent by NSFAS," the arrangement reads.
The NSFAS conditions and terms for private accommodation suppliers’ participation on the student accommodation portal also states that: "Where the NSFAS-funded student is defunded because of an incorrect determination by NSFAS, check here the student won't be accountable for read more payment of any arrear rent into the accommodation website supplier, up until eventually the date of being defunded."
NSFAS spelled out that exactly where the NSFAS-funded student chooses to continue occupying the leased premises, notwithstanding getting defunded by NSFAS, the student is going to be answerable for payment of lease to your lessor with the date of currently being defunded.
"Where the student 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 website to the accommodation provider.
"Where the student moves, nsfas student document submission deadline accommodation providers without the prior approval of 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 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