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 not to demand a deposit or top-up payment from NSFAS-funded students.
This comes immediately after NSFAS received stories about some accommodation providers who need NSFAS-funded students to pay for a deposit or top-up payment in order to get access to the authorized private accommodation.
Friday, February 7, 2025
"NSFAS reminds accommodation companies from the compulsory conditions, as furnished by the Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Settlement concerning the private accommodation vendors and NSFAS funded students," NSFAS reported in an announcement on Thursday.
The Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement states that the lease are going to be paid out every month to the accommodation service provider (lessor) by NSFAS, on behalf of the lessee (NSFAS funded student), in accordance with the NSFAS terms and conditions for personal accommodation companies’ participation on the student accommodation portal.
"The lessor may not require or allow the lessee to pay for a deposit, top-up payments, or every other varieties of payment to your lessor, or another person in connection with this arrangement, like payment of lease, even though awaiting payment from NSFAS. The lessor shall have no recourse against the lessee for any default in the payment of rent by NSFAS," the arrangement reads.
The NSFAS conditions and terms for private accommodation companies’ participation on the student accommodation portal also states that: "Where the NSFAS-funded student is defunded on account of an incorrect nsfas allowances determination by NSFAS, the coed will not be responsible for click here payment of any arrear rent towards the accommodation service provider, up right until the day of being defunded."
NSFAS spelled out that where by the NSFAS-funded student chooses to continue occupying the leased premises, notwithstanding becoming defunded by NSFAS, the student are going to be liable for payment of lease to your lessor in the date of becoming 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 nsfas to the accommodation provider.
"Where the student moves, accommodation providers without the prior approval of NSFAS, NSFAS may elect not to pay any rental to the new accommodation provider, and any check here 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 click here 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