Accommodation providers urged to stop demanding deposit from NSFAS funded students
Accommodation providers urged to stop demanding deposit from NSFAS funded 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 arrives just after NSFAS gained stories about some accommodation companies who require NSFAS-funded students to pay for a deposit or top-up payment in an effort to get use of the accredited private accommodation.
Friday, February 7, 2025
"NSFAS reminds accommodation companies from the obligatory conditions, as supplied by the Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement concerning the personal accommodation providers and NSFAS funded students," NSFAS explained in a press release on Thursday.
The Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement states that the lease will likely be paid out regular for the accommodation provider (lessor) by NSFAS, on behalf on the lessee (NSFAS funded student), in accordance using the NSFAS terms and conditions for personal accommodation providers’ participation on the student accommodation portal.
"The lessor may not call for or allow the lessee to pay a deposit, top-up payments, or another types of payment to your lessor, or any other person in connection with this agreement, together with payment of rent, although awaiting payment from NSFAS. The lessor shall don't have any recourse versus the lessee for any default within the payment of rent by NSFAS," the agreement reads.
The NSFAS terms and website conditions for private accommodation companies’ participation on the student accommodation portal also states that: "Where the NSFAS-funded student is defunded resulting from an incorrect determination by NSFAS, the scholar won't be answerable for payment of any arrear rent read more to the accommodation provider, up right up until the date of being defunded."
NSFAS described that the place the NSFAS-funded student chooses to continue occupying the leased premises, notwithstanding becoming defunded nsfas academic pathways by NSFAS, the student are going to be answerable for payment of rent into the lessor with the day of becoming 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; click here 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 the agreement, must be dealt with in accordance with nsfas eligibility criteria any dispute resolution procedure determined by NSFAS for this purpose.
From: SAnews.gov.za