Accommodation providers urged to halt demanding deposit from NSFAS funded students
Accommodation providers urged to halt demanding deposit from NSFAS funded students
Blog Article
The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has urged landlords not to demand a deposit or top-up payment from NSFAS-funded students.
This arrives soon after NSFAS obtained stories about some accommodation companies who demand NSFAS-funded students to pay for a deposit or top-up payment so as to get usage of the accredited private accommodation.
Friday, February 7, 2025
"NSFAS reminds accommodation providers from the obligatory conditions, as furnished by the Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Settlement in between the non-public accommodation companies and NSFAS funded students," NSFAS stated in an announcement on Thursday.
The Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement states that the lease will likely be paid out every month to your accommodation supplier (lessor) by NSFAS, on behalf in the lessee (NSFAS funded student), in accordance with the NSFAS terms and conditions for private 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 sorts of payment towards the lessor, or some other person in connection with this agreement, like payment of rent, even though awaiting payment from NSFAS. The nsfas application delay lessor shall have no recourse against the lessee for any default inside the payment of rent by NSFAS," the agreement reads.
The NSFAS conditions and terms for private accommodation suppliers’ participation on the student accommodation portal also states that: "Where the NSFAS-funded student is defunded due to an incorrect decision by NSFAS, the student will not be answerable for payment of any arrear rent into the accommodation provider, up right up until the date of being defunded."
NSFAS discussed that wherever the NSFAS-funded student chooses to carry on occupying the leased premises, notwithstanding currently being defunded by NSFAS, the student will be accountable for payment of lease on the lessor with the day of staying defunded.
"Where the 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 will be liable for payment of all rent due to the accommodation provider.
"Where the student moves, accommodation providers without the prior read more approval of NSFAS, NSFAS may elect not to pay any rental to the new accommodation provider, and any such rental payments more info will be for the student own account," the scheme said.
The scheme emphasised that any dispute arising between check here the parties regarding the interpretation or implementation of the agreement, must be dealt with in accordance with any dispute resolution procedure determined by nsfas tvet NSFAS for this purpose.
From: SAnews.gov.za