Accommodation vendors urged to end demanding deposit from NSFAS funded students
Accommodation vendors urged to end demanding deposit from NSFAS funded students
Blog Article
The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has urged landlords not to require a deposit or top-up payment from NSFAS-funded students.
This comes after NSFAS obtained experiences about some accommodation providers who demand NSFAS-funded students to pay a deposit or top-up payment in order to get usage of the permitted private accommodation.
Friday, February 7, 2025
"NSFAS reminds accommodation providers from the obligatory conditions, as furnished by the Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Settlement among the non-public accommodation providers and NSFAS funded students," NSFAS stated in a press release on Thursday.
The Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement states the lease will be paid regular monthly to your accommodation supplier (lessor) by NSFAS, on behalf of the 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 permit the lessee to pay a deposit, top-up payments, or every other sorts of payment into the lessor, or some other person in connection with this arrangement, which includes payment of rent, when awaiting payment from NSFAS. The lessor shall haven't any recourse in opposition to the lessee for any default within the payment of rent by NSFAS," the arrangement reads.
The NSFAS terms and conditions for private accommodation providers’ participation on the student accommodation portal also states that: "Where the NSFAS-funded student is defunded due to an incorrect selection by NSFAS, the student will not be answerable for payment of any arrear rent on the accommodation service provider, up right until the date of being defunded."
NSFAS spelled out that where the NSFAS-funded student chooses to continue occupying the get more info leased premises, notwithstanding remaining defunded by NSFAS, the student is going to be answerable for payment of rent on the lessor from the date of currently being defunded.
"Where nsfas application delay the student more info 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 NSFAS, NSFAS may elect not to pay here 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 get more info with any dispute resolution procedure determined by NSFAS for this purpose.
From: SAnews.gov.za