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 immediately after NSFAS obtained reports about some accommodation companies who require NSFAS-funded students to pay for a deposit or top-up payment as a way to get entry to the accepted private accommodation.
Friday, February 7, 2025
"NSFAS reminds accommodation providers of the obligatory conditions, as supplied by the Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement between 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 monthly to your accommodation provider (lessor) by NSFAS, on behalf of your lessee (NSFAS funded student), in accordance with the NSFAS conditions and terms for private accommodation suppliers’ participation on the student accommodation portal.
"The lessor may not need or allow the lessee to pay for a deposit, top-up payments, or every other sorts of payment towards the lessor, or some other person in reference to this arrangement, which includes payment of lease, while awaiting payment from NSFAS. The lessor shall don't have any recourse against the lessee for nsfas application delay any default while in the payment of rent by NSFAS," the arrangement 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 result of an incorrect determination by NSFAS, the student will not be answerable for payment of any arrear rent to the accommodation provider, up right up until the date of being defunded."
NSFAS discussed that where by the NSFAS-funded student chooses to continue occupying the leased premises, notwithstanding remaining defunded by NSFAS, the student are going nsfas student allowances to be chargeable for payment of hire on the lessor from 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 must immediately vacate the read more leased property; and will be liable for payment of all rent due to check here 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 get more info 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