Accommodation vendors urged to end demanding deposit from NSFAS funded university students
The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has urged landlords to not demand a deposit or top-up payment from NSFAS-funded students.
This arrives just after NSFAS acquired experiences about some accommodation companies who demand NSFAS-funded students to pay a deposit or top-up payment to be able to get use of the authorised private accommodation.
Friday, February 7, 2025
"NSFAS reminds accommodation companies with the obligatory conditions, as furnished by the Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Arrangement involving the non-public accommodation suppliers and NSFAS funded students," NSFAS mentioned in a statement on Thursday.
The Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement states which the rent will likely be paid monthly to the accommodation company (lessor) by NSFAS, on behalf of your lessee (NSFAS funded student), in accordance using the NSFAS conditions and terms for personal accommodation suppliers’ participation on the student accommodation portal.
"The lessor may not demand or allow the lessee to pay a deposit, top-up payments, or any other kinds of payment to the lessor, or almost every other person in reference to this agreement, together with payment of rent, when awaiting payment from NSFAS. The lessor shall haven't any recourse towards the lessee for any default from the payment of rent by NSFAS," the agreement reads.
The NSFAS terms and conditions for private accommodation providers’ participation read more on the student accommodation portal also states that: "Where the NSFAS-funded student is defunded resulting from an incorrect determination by NSFAS, the coed won't be liable for payment of any arrear rent to your accommodation supplier, up right until the date of being defunded."
NSFAS spelled out that in which the NSFAS-funded student chooses to continue occupying the leased premises, read more notwithstanding being defunded by NSFAS, the student is going to be responsible for payment of lease for the lessor from your date of being defunded.
"Where the student is defunded by NSFAS due to a misrepresentation by the lessee/guardian at any stage, the student must check here immediately vacate the leased property; and will be liable for payment of all rent due to the read more 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 accordance with any dispute resolution procedure determined by NSFAS for this purpose.
From: read more SAnews.gov.za