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 demand a deposit or top-up payment from NSFAS-funded students.
This comes after NSFAS acquired reports about some accommodation providers who need NSFAS-funded students to pay for a deposit or top-up payment in an effort to get use of the approved private accommodation.
Friday, February 7, 2025
"NSFAS reminds accommodation providers of the compulsory conditions, as furnished by the Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement among the private accommodation vendors and NSFAS funded students," NSFAS said in a press release on Thursday.
The Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement states that the lease are going to be paid out regular for the accommodation company (lessor) by NSFAS, on behalf on the lessee (NSFAS funded student), in accordance with the NSFAS conditions and terms for personal accommodation companies’ participation on the student accommodation portal.
"The lessor may not call for or allow the lessee to pay for a deposit, top-up payments, or almost every other sorts of payment on the lessor, or almost every other person in reference to this arrangement, including payment of rent, even though awaiting payment from NSFAS. The lessor shall have more info no recourse against the lessee for any default during the payment of rent by NSFAS," the website 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 due to an incorrect website determination by NSFAS, the student will not be answerable for payment of any arrear rent into the accommodation company, up right until the day of being defunded."
NSFAS defined that where the NSFAS-funded student chooses to carry on occupying the leased premises, notwithstanding staying defunded by NSFAS, the student are going to be chargeable for payment of rent to your lessor through the date of staying defunded.
"Where the student get more info 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 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 website 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