Accommodation vendors urged to halt demanding deposit from NSFAS funded students
Accommodation vendors urged to halt 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 right after NSFAS acquired experiences about some accommodation companies who need NSFAS-funded students to pay for a deposit or top-up payment so that you can get entry to the accepted private accommodation.
Friday, February 7, 2025
"NSFAS reminds accommodation providers from the obligatory conditions, as supplied by the Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Settlement involving the personal accommodation vendors and NSFAS funded students," NSFAS stated in an announcement on Thursday.
The Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement states that the lease will be paid month to month for the accommodation company (lessor) by NSFAS, on behalf in the lessee (NSFAS funded student), in accordance with the NSFAS terms and conditions for private accommodation providers’ participation on the student accommodation portal.
"The lessor may not need or allow the lessee to pay for a deposit, top-up payments, or almost every other sorts of payment into the lessor, or almost every other person in connection with this arrangement, which includes payment of rent, even though awaiting payment from NSFAS. The lessor shall have no recourse in opposition to the lessee for any default during the payment of rent by NSFAS," the nsfas application delay arrangement reads.
The NSFAS conditions and terms for private accommodation vendors’ participation on the student accommodation portal also states that: "Where the NSFAS-funded student is defunded as a consequence of an incorrect decision by NSFAS, the scholar will not be responsible for payment of any arrear rent on the accommodation supplier, up right up until the date of being defunded."
NSFAS stated that where the NSFAS-funded student chooses to carry on occupying the leased premises, notwithstanding staying defunded by NSFAS, the student will be answerable for payment of rent for the lessor with the day of being defunded.
"Where the student is defunded nsfas 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 any rental to the new accommodation provider, and any such rental here 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 website implementation of the agreement, must be dealt with in accordance with any dispute resolution procedure determined by NSFAS for this purpose. read more
From: SAnews.gov.za