Accommodation suppliers urged to halt demanding deposit from NSFAS funded students
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 following NSFAS acquired reports about some accommodation suppliers who demand NSFAS-funded students to pay for a deposit or top-up payment in order to get entry to the accepted private accommodation.
Friday, February 7, 2025
"NSFAS reminds accommodation providers of your compulsory conditions, as supplied by the Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Arrangement involving the personal accommodation companies and NSFAS funded students," NSFAS said in a press release on Thursday.
The Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement states that the lease is going to be paid month-to-month on the accommodation company (lessor) by NSFAS, on behalf on the lessee (NSFAS funded student), in accordance with the NSFAS conditions and terms for private accommodation companies’ participation on the student accommodation portal.
"The lessor may not demand or allow the lessee to pay a deposit, top-up payments, or every other sorts of payment on the lessor, or any other person in reference to this agreement, like payment of read more rent, though awaiting payment from NSFAS. The lessor shall haven't any recourse towards the lessee for any default during the payment of rent by NSFAS," the arrangement reads.
The NSFAS conditions and terms for private accommodation providers’ participation on the student accommodation portal also states that: "Where website the NSFAS-funded student is defunded because of an incorrect decision by NSFAS, the student will not be chargeable for payment of any arrear rent to the accommodation supplier, up until the date of being defunded."
NSFAS spelled out that exactly where the NSFAS-funded student chooses to continue occupying the leased premises, notwithstanding currently being defunded by NSFAS, the student are going to be chargeable for payment of hire to the lessor within the date of being defunded.
"Where the student is defunded by NSFAS nsfas eligibility criteria due to a misrepresentation by the lessee/guardian at any stage, the student must immediately vacate the click here 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 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 student document submission deadline dealt with in accordance with any dispute resolution procedure determined by NSFAS for this purpose.
From: SAnews.gov.za