Accommodation companies urged to halt demanding deposit from NSFAS funded university students
Accommodation companies urged to halt demanding deposit from NSFAS funded university students
Blog Article
The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has urged landlords to not require a deposit or top-up payment from NSFAS-funded students.
This comes just after NSFAS obtained experiences about some accommodation providers who need NSFAS-funded students to pay for a deposit or top-up payment in an effort to get usage of the approved private accommodation.
Friday, February 7, 2025
"NSFAS reminds accommodation vendors of the obligatory conditions, as provided by the Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement involving the personal accommodation providers and NSFAS funded students," NSFAS explained in an announcement on Thursday.
The Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement states that the lease are going to be paid out regular monthly on the accommodation provider (lessor) by NSFAS, on behalf of the lessee (NSFAS funded student), in accordance with the NSFAS terms and conditions for private accommodation suppliers’ participation on the student accommodation portal.
"The lessor may not call for or allow the lessee to pay a deposit, top-up payments, or any other sorts of payment to your lessor, or some other person in reference to this agreement, together with payment of lease, even though awaiting payment from NSFAS. The lessor shall haven't any recourse in opposition to the lessee for any default during the payment of rent by NSFAS," the read more agreement reads.
The NSFAS terms and conditions for private accommodation vendors’ participation on the student accommodation portal also states that: "Where the NSFAS-funded student is defunded as a result of an incorrect determination by NSFAS, the scholar will not be accountable for payment of any arrear rent to your accommodation supplier, up right up until the date of being defunded."
NSFAS spelled out that in which the NSFAS-funded student chooses to carry on occupying the leased premises, notwithstanding remaining defunded by NSFAS, the student are more info going to be liable for payment of lease into the lessor read more through the date of staying defunded.
"Where the nsfas student document submission deadline 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 read more 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 the agreement, must be dealt with in accordance with any dispute resolution procedure determined by NSFAS for this purpose.
From: SAnews.gov.za