Accommodation suppliers urged to halt demanding deposit from NSFAS funded students
Accommodation suppliers urged to halt demanding deposit from NSFAS funded students
Blog Article
The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has urged landlords not to require a deposit or top-up payment from NSFAS-funded students.
This comes after NSFAS obtained stories about some accommodation suppliers who demand NSFAS-funded students to pay for a deposit or top-up payment to be able to get entry to the accredited private accommodation.
Friday, February 7, 2025
"NSFAS reminds accommodation vendors of your obligatory conditions, as furnished by the Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Arrangement between the private accommodation providers and NSFAS funded students," NSFAS stated in a statement on Thursday.
The Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement states that the lease are going to be paid out monthly to your accommodation company (lessor) by NSFAS, on behalf on the lessee (NSFAS funded student), in accordance using the NSFAS terms and conditions for personal accommodation companies’ participation on the student accommodation portal.
"The lessor may not require or allow the lessee to pay for a deposit, top-up payments, or every other varieties of payment towards the lessor, or every other person in reference to this arrangement, like payment of rent, whilst awaiting payment from NSFAS. The lessor shall haven't any recourse towards the lessee for any default while in the payment of rent by NSFAS," the agreement reads.
The NSFAS terms and conditions for private accommodation suppliers’ participation on the read more student accommodation portal also states that: "Where the NSFAS-funded student is defunded because of an incorrect selection by NSFAS, the scholar won't be accountable for payment of any arrear rent on the accommodation company, up right until the date of being defunded."
NSFAS defined that in which the NSFAS-funded student chooses to continue occupying check here the leased premises, notwithstanding currently being defunded by NSFAS, the student is going to be responsible for payment of lease for the lessor click here through the date of becoming defunded.
"Where the student is defunded by NSFAS due to a misrepresentation by the lessee/guardian at any stage, the click here 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 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 read more the agreement, must be dealt with in accordance with any dispute resolution procedure determined by NSFAS for this purpose.
From: SAnews.gov.za