Accommodation vendors urged to halt demanding deposit from NSFAS funded college students
Accommodation vendors urged to halt demanding deposit from NSFAS funded college 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 obtained stories about some accommodation companies who require NSFAS-funded students to pay for a deposit or top-up payment so as to get access to the accepted private accommodation.
Friday, February 7, 2025
"NSFAS reminds accommodation providers with the compulsory conditions, as provided by the Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Settlement involving the non-public accommodation vendors and NSFAS funded students," NSFAS said in an announcement on Thursday.
The Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement states that the rent will likely be paid monthly into the accommodation supplier (lessor) by NSFAS, on behalf with the lessee (NSFAS funded student), in accordance with the NSFAS conditions and terms for personal accommodation companies’ participation on the student accommodation portal.
"The lessor may not demand or allow the lessee to pay for a deposit, top-up payments, or every other varieties of payment on the lessor, or some other person in reference to this agreement, together with payment of rent, though awaiting payment from NSFAS. The lessor shall have no recourse in opposition to the lessee for any default inside website the payment of rent by NSFAS," the arrangement reads.
The NSFAS conditions and terms for private accommodation providers’ participation on the student accommodation portal also check here states that: "Where the NSFAS-funded student is defunded due to an incorrect choice by NSFAS, the student will not be accountable for payment of any arrear rent on the accommodation supplier, up right up until the date of being defunded."
NSFAS defined that exactly where the NSFAS-funded student chooses to carry on occupying the leased premises, notwithstanding remaining defunded by NSFAS, the scholar is going to be accountable for payment of rent into the lessor with the date nsfas academic pathways 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 click here 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 accordance with any dispute resolution procedure determined by NSFAS for this purpose.
From: more info SAnews.gov.za