Accommodation providers urged to stop demanding deposit from NSFAS funded students
Accommodation providers urged to stop 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 after NSFAS received reports about some accommodation suppliers who need NSFAS-funded students to pay for a deposit or top-up payment to be able to get entry to the permitted private accommodation.
Friday, February 7, 2025
"NSFAS reminds accommodation vendors of your obligatory conditions, as supplied by the Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Settlement concerning the private accommodation vendors and NSFAS funded students," NSFAS reported in a statement on Thursday.
The Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement states that the lease will probably be paid every month into the accommodation service provider (lessor) by NSFAS, on behalf of the lessee (NSFAS funded student), in accordance using the NSFAS conditions and terms for personal accommodation companies’ participation on the student accommodation portal.
"The lessor may not demand or permit the lessee to pay for a deposit, top-up payments, or another sorts of payment to your lessor, or almost every other person in connection with this agreement, together with payment of lease, although awaiting payment from NSFAS. The lessor shall have no recourse from the lessee for any default while in the payment of rent by 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 due to an incorrect selection by NSFAS, the coed won't more info be answerable for payment of any arrear rent to your accommodation company, up right up until the date of being defunded."
NSFAS spelled out that the place the NSFAS-funded student chooses to continue occupying the leased premises, notwithstanding remaining defunded by NSFAS, the student are going to be chargeable for payment of hire on the lessor from the date of currently being defunded.
"Where the student is defunded by NSFAS due website to a misrepresentation by the lessee/guardian at any stage, the student must immediately vacate the leased property; and will be liable for payment more info of all rent due to the accommodation provider.
"Where the student moves, accommodation providers without the prior approval of NSFAS, NSFAS may click here elect not to pay any rental to the new accommodation provider, and any such rental payments will website 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