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 to not require a deposit or top-up payment from NSFAS-funded students.
This arrives right after NSFAS been given experiences about some accommodation vendors who demand NSFAS-funded students to pay for a deposit or top-up payment in order to get usage of the approved private accommodation.
Friday, February 7, 2025
"NSFAS reminds accommodation vendors of your obligatory conditions, as provided by the Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Settlement involving the non-public accommodation providers and NSFAS funded students," NSFAS reported in an announcement on Thursday.
The Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement states that the lease is going to be paid month to month to the accommodation service provider (lessor) by NSFAS, on behalf in the lessee (NSFAS funded student), in accordance using the NSFAS terms and conditions for personal accommodation providers’ participation on the student accommodation portal.
"The lessor may not involve or allow the lessee to pay a deposit, top-up payments, or any other types of payment to your lessor, or any other person in connection with this agreement, like payment of lease, though awaiting payment from NSFAS. The lessor shall haven't any 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 on account of an nsfas document submission deadline incorrect decision by NSFAS, the student will not be liable for payment of any arrear rent towards the accommodation supplier, up until finally the date of being defunded."
NSFAS defined that exactly where the NSFAS-funded student chooses to carry on occupying the leased premises, notwithstanding remaining defunded by NSFAS, the student will be chargeable for payment of rent to the lessor within the day of getting defunded.
"Where the student is defunded by NSFAS due to a misrepresentation by the nsfas application delay lessee/guardian at any stage, the student here 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 check here NSFAS, NSFAS may elect not to pay any rental nsfas student allowances 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 any dispute resolution procedure determined by NSFAS for this purpose.
From: SAnews.gov.za