Accommodation companies urged to halt demanding deposit from NSFAS funded students
Accommodation companies 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 acquired experiences about some accommodation companies who require NSFAS-funded students to pay a deposit or top-up payment to be able to get use of the authorized private accommodation.
Friday, February 7, 2025
"NSFAS reminds accommodation providers with the compulsory conditions, as furnished by the Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement concerning the private accommodation suppliers and NSFAS funded students," NSFAS reported in a statement on Thursday.
The Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement states the lease will probably be paid monthly for the accommodation company (lessor) by NSFAS, on behalf of your lessee (NSFAS funded student), in accordance using the NSFAS terms and conditions for private accommodation providers’ participation on the student accommodation portal.
"The lessor may not demand or permit the lessee to pay a deposit, top-up payments, or almost every other varieties of payment into the lessor, or any other person in connection with this arrangement, including payment of rent, while awaiting payment from NSFAS. The lessor shall have no recourse from the lessee for any default within the payment of rent by NSFAS," the agreement reads.
The NSFAS website terms and conditions for private accommodation vendors’ participation on the student accommodation portal also states that: "Where the NSFAS-funded student is defunded due to an here incorrect decision by NSFAS, the scholar will not be responsible for payment of any arrear rent on the accommodation supplier, up until eventually the date 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 are going to be chargeable for payment of rent to the lessor within the day of becoming defunded.
"Where the student is defunded by NSFAS due to check here 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 website pay any rental to the new accommodation provider, and any such rental payments will be for the student own account," the scheme said.
The check here 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