Accommodation providers urged to stop demanding deposit from NSFAS funded college students
Accommodation providers urged to stop demanding deposit from NSFAS funded college students
Blog Article
The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has urged landlords never to require a deposit or top-up payment from NSFAS-funded students.
This comes after NSFAS received experiences about some accommodation suppliers who require NSFAS-funded students to pay for a deposit or top-up payment in order to get use of the permitted private accommodation.
Friday, February 7, 2025
"NSFAS reminds accommodation companies from the obligatory conditions, as provided by the Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Settlement among the non-public accommodation companies and NSFAS funded students," NSFAS stated in a press release on Thursday.
The Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement states that the rent will be paid every month to the accommodation provider (lessor) by NSFAS, on behalf with the lessee (NSFAS funded student), in accordance using the NSFAS terms and conditions for private accommodation suppliers’ participation on the student accommodation portal.
"The lessor may not require or allow the lessee to pay a deposit, top-up payments, or almost every other varieties of payment towards the lessor, or some other person in connection click here with this arrangement, including payment of hire, when awaiting payment from NSFAS. The lessor shall don't have any recourse in opposition to the lessee for any default while in the payment nsfas tvet of rent by NSFAS," the agreement reads.
The NSFAS terms and conditions for private accommodation providers’ participation on the student accommodation portal also states that: "Where the NSFAS-funded student is defunded because of an incorrect decision by NSFAS, the scholar won't be chargeable for payment of any arrear rent to your accommodation company, up until eventually the date of being defunded."
NSFAS stated that wherever the NSFAS-funded student chooses to carry on occupying the leased premises, notwithstanding being defunded by NSFAS, the student is going to be liable for payment of lease into the lessor from your day of becoming defunded.
"Where the student is defunded by NSFAS due to a misrepresentation by the lessee/guardian at any read more 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 website the prior approval of NSFAS, NSFAS may elect not to pay any rental to the new accommodation nsfas academic pathways 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