Accommodation companies urged to halt demanding deposit from NSFAS funded students
Accommodation companies urged to halt demanding deposit from NSFAS funded 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 gained stories about some accommodation companies who need NSFAS-funded students to pay a deposit or top-up payment in an effort to get usage of the accepted private accommodation.
Friday, February 7, 2025
"NSFAS reminds accommodation providers on the obligatory conditions, as supplied by the Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Settlement amongst the private accommodation vendors and NSFAS funded students," NSFAS explained in an announcement on Thursday.
The Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement states that the lease will likely be paid monthly to your accommodation supplier (lessor) by NSFAS, on behalf from the lessee (NSFAS funded student), in accordance using the NSFAS conditions and terms for personal accommodation suppliers’ participation on the student accommodation portal.
"The lessor may not involve or permit the lessee to pay for a deposit, top-up payments, or every other varieties of payment for the lessor, or any other person in reference to this arrangement, like payment of rent, whilst awaiting payment from NSFAS. The lessor shall have no recourse from the lessee for any default during the payment of rent by click here NSFAS," the agreement reads.
The NSFAS conditions and terms for private accommodation companies’ participation on the student accommodation portal also states that: "Where the NSFAS-funded student is defunded because of an incorrect decision by NSFAS, the student will not be answerable for payment of any arrear rent towards the accommodation supplier, up until eventually the day of being defunded."
NSFAS defined that where by the NSFAS-funded student chooses to carry on occupying the leased premises, notwithstanding getting defunded by NSFAS, the scholar is going to be liable for payment of lease to the lessor from your day 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 click here 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 of NSFAS, NSFAS may elect not to pay any rental to the new click here accommodation provider, and any such rental payments will be for the student own account," the scheme said.
The scheme emphasised that any click here dispute arising between the parties regarding the interpretation or implementation of the agreement, must be dealt with check here in accordance with any dispute resolution procedure determined by NSFAS for this purpose.
From: SAnews.gov.za