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 require a deposit or top-up payment from NSFAS-funded students.
This comes just after NSFAS obtained stories about some accommodation companies who need NSFAS-funded students to pay for a deposit or top-up payment so as to get use of the authorised private accommodation.
Friday, February 7, 2025
"NSFAS reminds accommodation suppliers from the compulsory conditions, as provided by the Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement among the non-public accommodation suppliers and NSFAS funded students," NSFAS mentioned in an announcement on Thursday.
The Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement states that the lease is going to be paid out month to month to your accommodation company (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 involve or allow the lessee to pay for a deposit, top-up payments, or almost every other sorts of payment towards the lessor, or any other person in connection with this arrangement, including payment of lease, even though awaiting payment from NSFAS. The lessor shall don't have any more info recourse from the lessee for any default inside the payment check here 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 defunded because of an incorrect determination by NSFAS, the coed will not be answerable for more info payment of any arrear rent to your accommodation supplier, up till the day of being defunded."
NSFAS explained that in which the NSFAS-funded student chooses to continue occupying the leased premises, notwithstanding remaining defunded by NSFAS, the student are going to be responsible for payment of rent for the lessor within the date of check here getting 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 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 click here 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