Accommodation vendors urged to stop demanding deposit from NSFAS funded students
Accommodation vendors urged to stop 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 just after NSFAS obtained reports about some accommodation companies who need NSFAS-funded students to pay for a deposit or top-up payment in an effort to get entry to the approved private accommodation.
Friday, February 7, 2025
"NSFAS reminds accommodation suppliers from the obligatory conditions, as provided by the Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Arrangement amongst the non-public accommodation providers and NSFAS funded students," NSFAS explained in a statement on Thursday.
The Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement states the lease will likely be paid out month to month into the accommodation supplier (lessor) by NSFAS, on behalf with the lessee (NSFAS funded student), in accordance using the NSFAS terms and conditions for personal accommodation suppliers’ participation on the student accommodation portal.
"The lessor may not involve or permit the lessee to pay a deposit, top-up payments, or some other varieties of payment into the lessor, or any other person in connection with this agreement, which includes payment of rent, even though awaiting payment from NSFAS. The lessor shall don't have any recourse from the lessee for any default during 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 read more defunded because of an incorrect decision by NSFAS, the scholar will not be accountable for payment of any arrear rent to the accommodation service provider, up until the day of being defunded."
NSFAS defined that where the NSFAS-funded student chooses to carry on occupying the leased premises, notwithstanding currently being defunded by NSFAS, the student is going to be accountable for payment of hire towards the lessor from the nsfas document submission deadline date of being defunded.
"Where the student is defunded by more info 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 payments will be for the student own account," the scheme said.
The scheme emphasised check here that any dispute arising between the parties regarding the interpretation here 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