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 never to demand a deposit or top-up payment from NSFAS-funded students.
This arrives right after NSFAS received stories about some accommodation vendors who demand NSFAS-funded students to pay for a deposit or top-up payment to be able to get use of the approved private accommodation.
Friday, February 7, 2025
"NSFAS reminds accommodation companies of your compulsory conditions, as provided by the Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement amongst the personal accommodation suppliers and NSFAS funded students," NSFAS reported in a statement on Thursday.
The Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement states that the rent will probably be paid regular monthly to your accommodation service provider (lessor) by NSFAS, on behalf of your lessee (NSFAS funded student), in accordance using the NSFAS conditions and terms for private accommodation companies’ participation on the student accommodation portal.
"The lessor may not require or permit the lessee to pay for a deposit, top-up payments, or another varieties of payment to your lessor, or some other person in connection with this agreement, which include payment of lease, while awaiting payment from NSFAS. The lessor shall have no recourse from the lessee for any default while in the payment of rent by NSFAS," the agreement reads.
The NSFAS terms and conditions for private accommodation vendors’ participation on the student accommodation portal also states that: "Where the NSFAS-funded student check here is defunded resulting from an incorrect here selection by NSFAS, the scholar will not be chargeable for payment of any arrear rent to the accommodation company, up until finally the day of being defunded."
NSFAS defined that the place the NSFAS-funded student chooses to carry on nsfas login occupying the leased premises, notwithstanding becoming defunded by NSFAS, the student are going to be liable for payment of rent for the lessor within the date 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; and will be liable for payment of all rent due to the accommodation provider.
"Where the student nsfas academic pathways moves, accommodation providers without the prior approval of NSFAS, NSFAS may elect not to pay any rental to the new accommodation provider, here 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 any dispute resolution procedure determined by NSFAS for this purpose.
From: SAnews.gov.za