Accommodation vendors urged to halt demanding deposit from NSFAS funded students
Accommodation vendors urged to halt demanding deposit from NSFAS funded students
Blog Article
The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has urged landlords not to demand a deposit or top-up payment from NSFAS-funded students.
This comes after NSFAS received stories about some accommodation providers who demand NSFAS-funded students to pay a deposit or top-up payment in an effort to get access to the authorised private accommodation.
Friday, February 7, 2025
"NSFAS reminds accommodation providers with the compulsory conditions, as furnished by the Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement amongst the personal accommodation vendors and NSFAS funded students," NSFAS explained in a statement on Thursday.
The Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement states the rent will be paid month to month to the accommodation company (lessor) by NSFAS, on behalf of your lessee (NSFAS funded student), in accordance using the NSFAS conditions and terms for personal accommodation vendors’ participation on the student accommodation portal.
"The lessor may not call for or permit the lessee to pay a deposit, top-up payments, or any other sorts of payment towards the lessor, or almost every other person in connection with this agreement, such as payment of rent, even though awaiting payment from NSFAS. The lessor shall haven't any recourse versus the lessee for any default inside 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 status check NSFAS-funded student is defunded as a consequence of an incorrect decision by NSFAS, the student will not be responsible for payment of any arrear rent for the accommodation company, up until the date of being defunded."
NSFAS discussed that wherever the NSFAS-funded student chooses to carry on occupying the leased premises, notwithstanding becoming defunded by NSFAS, the student will be liable for payment of rent on the lessor within the date of check here remaining 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 get more info without the prior approval of NSFAS, NSFAS may elect not to pay any rental to here the new accommodation provider, and any such website 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