Accommodation vendors urged to stop demanding deposit from NSFAS funded university students
Accommodation vendors urged to stop demanding deposit from NSFAS funded university 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 just after NSFAS obtained reports about some accommodation providers who demand NSFAS-funded students to pay for a deposit or top-up payment so that you can get usage of the authorised private accommodation.
Friday, February 7, 2025
"NSFAS reminds accommodation suppliers on the compulsory conditions, as furnished by the Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Arrangement between the non-public accommodation companies and NSFAS funded students," NSFAS reported in an announcement on Thursday.
The Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement states that the lease will probably be paid out regular monthly on the accommodation supplier (lessor) by NSFAS, on behalf of your 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 permit the lessee to pay for a deposit, top-up payments, or some other types of payment into the lessor, or some other person in reference to this click here agreement, which include payment of rent, when awaiting payment from NSFAS. The lessor shall have no recourse towards website the lessee for any default within the payment of rent by NSFAS," the agreement reads.
The NSFAS terms more info and conditions for private accommodation companies’ participation on the student accommodation portal also states that: "Where the NSFAS-funded student is defunded due to an incorrect choice by NSFAS, the coed will not be chargeable for payment of any arrear rent into the accommodation service provider, up right until the day of being defunded."
NSFAS stated that where by the NSFAS-funded student chooses to continue occupying the leased premises, notwithstanding getting defunded by NSFAS, the student is going to be responsible for payment of rent towards the lessor in the date of getting 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 leased property; and will check here 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 here 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