Accommodation vendors urged to stop demanding deposit from NSFAS funded college students
Accommodation vendors urged to stop demanding deposit from NSFAS funded college students
Blog Article
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 after NSFAS acquired reports about some accommodation providers who demand NSFAS-funded students to pay a deposit or top-up payment in order to get use of the authorised private accommodation.
Friday, February 7, 2025
"NSFAS reminds accommodation suppliers in the obligatory conditions, as provided by the Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Settlement amongst the private accommodation suppliers and NSFAS funded students," NSFAS stated in a press release on Thursday.
The Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement states the lease might be paid monthly to your accommodation supplier (lessor) by NSFAS, on behalf of the lessee (NSFAS funded student), in accordance with the NSFAS terms and conditions for personal accommodation providers’ participation on the student accommodation portal.
"The lessor may not have to have or permit the lessee to pay a deposit, top-up payments, or another types of payment on the lessor, or another person in connection with this arrangement, which includes payment of lease, though awaiting payment from NSFAS. The lessor shall have no recourse towards the lessee for any default inside the payment of rent by NSFAS," the agreement reads.
The NSFAS terms and conditions for private accommodation companies’ participation on the student accommodation portal also states that: "Where the NSFAS-funded student is defunded on account of an incorrect choice by NSFAS, the coed will not be accountable for click here payment of any arrear rent for the accommodation supplier, up till the date of being defunded."
NSFAS explained that where the NSFAS-funded student chooses to carry on occupying the leased premises, notwithstanding getting defunded by NSFAS, the student are going to be responsible for payment of rent into the lessor with the date of being defunded.
"Where the student is defunded by here 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 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 read more 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 more info with any dispute get more info resolution procedure determined by NSFAS for this purpose.
From: SAnews.gov.za