Accommodation suppliers urged to stop demanding deposit from NSFAS funded university students
Accommodation suppliers urged to stop demanding deposit from NSFAS funded university 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 arrives following NSFAS obtained stories about some accommodation vendors who require NSFAS-funded students to pay for a deposit or top-up payment as a way to get entry to the authorised private accommodation.
Friday, February 7, 2025
"NSFAS reminds accommodation providers from the obligatory conditions, as furnished by the Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement involving the personal accommodation vendors and NSFAS funded students," NSFAS reported in a statement on Thursday.
The Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement states the lease might be paid regular to your accommodation company (lessor) by NSFAS, on behalf of your lessee (NSFAS funded student), in accordance using the NSFAS conditions and terms for private accommodation suppliers’ participation on the student accommodation portal.
"The lessor may not need or allow the lessee to pay a deposit, top-up payments, or any other varieties of payment to the lessor, or almost every other person in reference to this agreement, such as payment of lease, though awaiting payment from NSFAS. The lessor shall don't have any recourse from the lessee for any default in the payment of rent by NSFAS," the agreement reads.
The NSFAS terms and conditions for private accommodation suppliers’ participation on the student accommodation portal also here states that: "Where the NSFAS-funded student is defunded on account of an incorrect decision by NSFAS, the student will not be answerable for payment of any arrear rent on the accommodation provider, up until the date of being defunded."
NSFAS described that wherever the NSFAS-funded student chooses to carry on occupying the leased premises, notwithstanding being defunded by NSFAS, the student are going to be liable for payment of rent on the lessor with the day of remaining defunded.
"Where the student is defunded by NSFAS due to a misrepresentation by the lessee/guardian at any stage, the student must website 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 read more pay any rental to the new accommodation provider, and any such nsfas university allowances 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 more info purpose.
From: SAnews.gov.za