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 never to demand a deposit or top-up payment from NSFAS-funded students.
This arrives just after NSFAS obtained stories about some accommodation providers who require NSFAS-funded students to pay for a deposit or top-up payment in order to get use of the accredited private accommodation.
Friday, February 7, 2025
"NSFAS reminds accommodation companies in the obligatory conditions, as supplied by the Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement in between the non-public accommodation companies and NSFAS funded students," NSFAS said in a press release on Thursday.
The Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement states that the lease will likely be paid out monthly into the accommodation service provider (lessor) by NSFAS, on behalf on the lessee (NSFAS funded student), in accordance with the NSFAS conditions and terms for private accommodation vendors’ participation on the student accommodation portal.
"The lessor may not demand or allow the lessee to pay a deposit, top-up payments, or another kinds of payment to the lessor, or almost every other person in connection with this arrangement, including payment of lease, while awaiting payment from NSFAS. The lessor shall don't have any here recourse versus the lessee for any default inside the payment of rent by NSFAS," the arrangement reads.
The NSFAS terms and conditions for private accommodation providers’ participation on the student accommodation portal also states that: "Where the check here NSFAS-funded student is defunded as a result of an incorrect decision by NSFAS, the student won't be liable for payment of any arrear rent into the accommodation provider, up until the date of being defunded."
NSFAS defined that wherever the NSFAS-funded student chooses to carry on occupying the leased premises, notwithstanding staying defunded by NSFAS, the student is going to be liable for nsfas status check payment of lease on the lessor in the date 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 approval of NSFAS, NSFAS may elect not to pay any rental nsfas status check 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 nsfas tvet dealt with in accordance with any dispute resolution procedure determined by NSFAS for this purpose.
From: SAnews.gov.za