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 not to require a deposit or top-up payment from NSFAS-funded students.
This arrives soon after NSFAS received stories about some accommodation providers who need NSFAS-funded students to pay a deposit or top-up payment in order to get access to the approved private accommodation.
Friday, February 7, 2025
"NSFAS reminds accommodation providers from the compulsory conditions, as furnished by the Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Arrangement among the personal accommodation suppliers and NSFAS funded students," NSFAS explained in a press release on Thursday.
The Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement states that the lease are going to be paid month-to-month towards the accommodation supplier (lessor) by NSFAS, on behalf from the lessee (NSFAS funded student), in accordance with the NSFAS terms and conditions for personal accommodation companies’ participation on the student accommodation portal.
"The lessor may not have to have or permit the lessee to pay for a deposit, top-up payments, or almost every other varieties of payment to the lessor, or another person in nsfas reference to this agreement, which include payment of lease, when awaiting payment from NSFAS. The lessor shall don't have any recourse against the lessee for any default in the payment of rent by NSFAS," the arrangement reads.
The NSFAS terms and conditions for private accommodation providers’ participation on the student accommodation portal also states that: "Where read more the NSFAS-funded student is defunded as a consequence of an incorrect selection by NSFAS, the scholar won't be accountable for payment of any arrear rent for the accommodation company, up right up until the day of being defunded."
NSFAS defined that where by the get more info NSFAS-funded student chooses to continue occupying the leased premises, notwithstanding getting defunded by NSFAS, the student will be accountable for payment of rent on the check here lessor within the day of becoming 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 be liable for payment of all rent due to the accommodation provider.
"Where the student moves, accommodation providers without the prior approval nsfas status check 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 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