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 demand a deposit or top-up payment from NSFAS-funded students.
This comes soon after NSFAS gained stories about some accommodation providers who demand NSFAS-funded students to pay a deposit or top-up payment so as to get entry to the authorized private accommodation.
Friday, February 7, 2025
"NSFAS reminds accommodation vendors in the obligatory conditions, as supplied by the Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement concerning the personal accommodation suppliers and NSFAS funded students," NSFAS stated in an announcement on Thursday.
The Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement states that the lease is going to be paid out regular monthly towards the accommodation service provider (lessor) by NSFAS, on behalf on the lessee (NSFAS funded student), in accordance using the NSFAS conditions and terms for personal accommodation vendors’ 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 to the lessor, or some other person in reference to this arrangement, such as payment of rent, whilst awaiting payment from NSFAS. The lessor shall have no recourse versus the lessee for any default from the payment of rent by NSFAS," the agreement 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 determination by NSFAS, the coed will not be accountable for payment of any arrear rent towards the accommodation service provider, up right up until the date of being defunded."
NSFAS described that exactly where the NSFAS-funded student chooses to carry on occupying the leased premises, notwithstanding staying defunded by NSFAS, the student is going to be responsible for payment of more info rent to your lessor from your day of becoming defunded.
"Where the student is defunded by NSFAS due to nsfas 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 read more 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 nsfas allowances the parties regarding the interpretation or implementation of the agreement, must be dealt with in accordance get more info with any dispute resolution procedure determined by NSFAS for this purpose.
From: SAnews.gov.za