Accommodation suppliers urged to stop demanding deposit from NSFAS funded university students
Accommodation suppliers urged to stop demanding deposit from NSFAS funded university students
Blog Article
The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has urged landlords never to require a deposit or top-up payment from NSFAS-funded students.
This comes right after NSFAS received experiences about some accommodation suppliers who demand NSFAS-funded students to pay for a deposit or top-up payment so that you can get usage of the permitted private accommodation.
Friday, February 7, 2025
"NSFAS reminds accommodation vendors in the obligatory conditions, as provided by the Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Arrangement among the non-public accommodation companies and NSFAS funded students," NSFAS reported in a statement on Thursday.
The Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement states the lease is going to be paid out monthly on the accommodation provider (lessor) by NSFAS, on behalf on the lessee (NSFAS funded student), in accordance using the NSFAS terms and conditions for personal accommodation vendors’ participation on the student accommodation portal.
"The lessor may not demand or allow the lessee to pay for a deposit, top-up payments, or every other kinds of payment into the lessor, or every other person in reference to this agreement, like payment of lease, while awaiting payment here from NSFAS. The lessor shall have no recourse against the lessee for any default inside 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: "Where the NSFAS-funded student is defunded as a consequence of an incorrect decision by NSFAS, the scholar won't be answerable for payment of any arrear rent towards the accommodation supplier, up right until the date of being defunded."
NSFAS defined that exactly where the NSFAS-funded student chooses to carry on occupying the leased premises, notwithstanding being defunded by NSFAS, the scholar are going to be liable for payment of lease for the lessor in the day of remaining defunded.
"Where the student is defunded by NSFAS due to a misrepresentation by the lessee/guardian at any stage, the student here must immediately vacate the leased property; and will be liable for payment check here of all rent due to the accommodation provider.
"Where the student moves, accommodation providers without the prior approval of click here 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 that any dispute arising between the parties regarding the interpretation or implementation of the agreement, must be dealt with in accordance with nsfas eligibility criteria any dispute resolution procedure determined by NSFAS for this purpose.
From: SAnews.gov.za