Accommodation suppliers urged to halt demanding deposit from NSFAS funded students
Accommodation suppliers urged to halt demanding deposit from NSFAS funded students
Blog Article
The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has urged landlords never to demand a deposit or top-up payment from NSFAS-funded students.
This comes after NSFAS gained reports about some accommodation vendors who need NSFAS-funded students to pay a deposit or top-up payment to be able to get access to the accepted private accommodation.
Friday, February 7, 2025
"NSFAS reminds accommodation companies on the obligatory conditions, as supplied by the Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement among the non-public accommodation companies and NSFAS funded students," NSFAS said in a press release on Thursday.
The Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement states the lease will likely be paid out monthly to your accommodation provider (lessor) by NSFAS, on behalf with the lessee (NSFAS funded student), in accordance with the NSFAS conditions and terms for private accommodation providers’ participation on the student accommodation portal.
"The lessor may not demand or allow the lessee to pay for a deposit, top-up payments, or almost every other types of payment to your lessor, or any other person in connection with this agreement, which include payment of hire, whilst awaiting payment from NSFAS. The lessor shall don't have any recourse from the lessee for any default in the payment of rent by NSFAS," the agreement reads.
The NSFAS terms and conditions for private accommodation companies’ participation on the student accommodation portal also states that: here "Where the NSFAS-funded student is defunded resulting from an incorrect determination by NSFAS, the scholar won't be accountable for payment of any arrear rent for the accommodation supplier, up until eventually the day of being defunded."
NSFAS stated that exactly where the NSFAS-funded student chooses to carry more info on occupying the leased premises, notwithstanding staying defunded by NSFAS, the student are going to be chargeable for payment of hire on the lessor with the date of remaining 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 get more info all rent due to the accommodation provider.
"Where nsfas academic pathways the student moves, accommodation providers without the prior approval of NSFAS, NSFAS may elect not to pay any rental to website 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