Accommodation companies urged to stop demanding deposit from NSFAS funded students
Accommodation companies 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 immediately after NSFAS gained experiences about some accommodation vendors who need NSFAS-funded students to pay for a deposit or top-up payment so that you can get use of the authorised private accommodation.
Friday, February 7, 2025
"NSFAS reminds accommodation vendors on the obligatory conditions, as provided by the Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement concerning the personal accommodation providers and NSFAS funded students," NSFAS explained in a statement on Thursday.
The Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement states which the lease will likely be paid out regular towards the accommodation provider (lessor) by NSFAS, on behalf of your lessee (NSFAS funded student), in accordance with the NSFAS conditions and terms for private accommodation vendors’ participation on the student accommodation portal.
"The lessor may not involve or allow the lessee to pay a deposit, top-up payments, or another sorts of payment on the lessor, or some other person in connection with this click here arrangement, which include payment of rent, when awaiting payment from NSFAS. The lessor shall haven't any recourse towards the lessee for any default from the payment of rent by NSFAS," the agreement reads.
The NSFAS terms and conditions here for private accommodation vendors’ participation on get more info 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 won't be liable for payment of any arrear rent on the accommodation service provider, up until finally the day of being defunded."
NSFAS defined that wherever the NSFAS-funded student chooses to continue occupying the leased premises, notwithstanding getting defunded by NSFAS, the student will be accountable for payment of lease to your lessor within the day of being 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 read more 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 nsfas 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