Accommodation suppliers urged to halt demanding deposit from NSFAS funded students
Accommodation suppliers urged to halt demanding deposit from NSFAS funded 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 comes just after NSFAS obtained experiences about some accommodation companies who need 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 companies of your compulsory conditions, as supplied by the Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Settlement between the private accommodation suppliers and NSFAS funded students," NSFAS mentioned in an announcement on Thursday.
The Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement states which the rent might be paid out every month towards the accommodation provider (lessor) by NSFAS, on behalf of your lessee (NSFAS funded student), in accordance with the NSFAS conditions and terms for personal accommodation providers’ participation on the student accommodation portal.
"The lessor may not need or allow the lessee to pay a deposit, top-up payments, or some other forms of payment to your lessor, or every other person in reference to this agreement, which include payment of rent, even though awaiting payment from NSFAS. The lessor shall have no recourse in opposition to the lessee for any default in the payment of rent by NSFAS," the agreement reads.
The NSFAS conditions and terms for private accommodation website providers’ participation on the student accommodation portal also states that: "Where the NSFAS-funded student is defunded resulting from an incorrect decision by NSFAS, the coed won't be liable for payment of any arrear rent on the accommodation service website provider, up until finally the day of being defunded."
NSFAS stated that exactly where the NSFAS-funded student chooses to carry on occupying the leased premises, notwithstanding remaining defunded by NSFAS, the student will be responsible for payment of lease into the lessor from the date of getting get more info 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 check here 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 nsfas status check 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 purpose.
From: SAnews.gov.za