Accommodation companies urged to end demanding deposit from NSFAS funded college students
Accommodation companies urged to end demanding deposit from NSFAS funded college students
Blog Article
The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has urged landlords never to require a deposit or top-up payment from NSFAS-funded students.
This comes immediately after NSFAS received stories about some accommodation suppliers who demand NSFAS-funded students to pay for a deposit or top-up payment to be able to get use of the permitted private accommodation.
Friday, February 7, 2025
"NSFAS reminds accommodation vendors with the obligatory conditions, as provided by the Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Arrangement among the private accommodation suppliers and NSFAS funded students," NSFAS explained in an announcement on Thursday.
The Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement states that the lease might be paid out regular to your accommodation supplier (lessor) by NSFAS, on behalf in the lessee (NSFAS funded student), in accordance using the NSFAS conditions and terms for private accommodation providers’ participation on the student accommodation portal.
"The lessor may not require or allow the lessee to pay for a deposit, top-up payments, or some other forms of payment to your lessor, or some other person in connection with this agreement, which includes payment of rent, even though awaiting payment from NSFAS. The lessor shall haven't any check here recourse towards the lessee for any default while in the payment of rent by NSFAS," the arrangement reads.
The NSFAS conditions and terms for private accommodation companies’ participation on the student accommodation portal also states that: "Where the NSFAS-funded student is defunded as a result of an incorrect determination by NSFAS, the scholar won't be more info liable for payment of any arrear rent towards the accommodation supplier, up until the day of being defunded."
NSFAS explained that exactly where the NSFAS-funded student chooses to continue occupying the leased premises, notwithstanding remaining defunded by NSFAS, the student is going to be answerable for payment nsfas eligibility criteria of hire to the lessor from click here your date of getting 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 nsfas university allowances 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 dealt with in accordance with any dispute resolution procedure determined by NSFAS for this purpose.
From: SAnews.gov.za