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 not to demand a deposit or top-up payment from NSFAS-funded students.
This comes soon after NSFAS been given experiences about some accommodation suppliers who need NSFAS-funded students to pay a deposit or top-up payment in order to get entry to the permitted private accommodation.
Friday, February 7, 2025
"NSFAS reminds accommodation providers with the compulsory conditions, as supplied by the Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement among the private accommodation providers and NSFAS funded students," NSFAS said in a press release on Thursday.
The Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement states the lease are going to be paid out month-to-month to your accommodation provider (lessor) by NSFAS, on behalf with the lessee (NSFAS funded student), in accordance using the NSFAS conditions and terms for private accommodation vendors’ participation on the student accommodation portal.
"The lessor may not involve or permit the lessee to pay a deposit, top-up payments, or another varieties of payment towards the lessor, or some other person in connection with this arrangement, including payment of rent, even though awaiting payment from NSFAS. The lessor shall haven't any recourse towards the lessee click here for any default from the payment of rent by NSFAS," the agreement reads.
The NSFAS terms and conditions for private accommodation companies’ participation on the student accommodation portal also states that: "Where the NSFAS-funded student is defunded as a consequence of an incorrect choice by NSFAS, the nsfas application delay coed will not be answerable for payment of any arrear rent to the accommodation company, up till the date of being defunded."
NSFAS described that the place the NSFAS-funded student chooses to carry on occupying the leased premises, notwithstanding staying defunded by NSFAS, the scholar is going to be responsible for payment of hire into the lessor from the day check here of remaining 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 here 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 any dispute arising between the parties regarding the interpretation or implementation of the agreement, must be dealt with in more info accordance with any dispute resolution procedure determined by NSFAS for this purpose.
From: SAnews.gov.za