Accommodation suppliers urged to stop demanding deposit from NSFAS funded college students
Accommodation suppliers urged to stop demanding deposit from NSFAS funded college 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 immediately after NSFAS received reports about some accommodation companies who require NSFAS-funded students to pay a deposit or top-up payment to be able to get entry to the authorised private accommodation.
Friday, February 7, 2025
"NSFAS reminds accommodation suppliers from the compulsory conditions, as supplied by the Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement amongst the non-public accommodation vendors and NSFAS funded students," NSFAS said in a statement on Thursday.
The Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement states that the rent will likely be paid month-to-month to your accommodation company (lessor) by NSFAS, on behalf with the lessee (NSFAS funded student), in accordance using the NSFAS terms and conditions for personal accommodation vendors’ participation on the student accommodation portal.
"The lessor may not have to have or allow the lessee to pay for a deposit, top-up payments, or another sorts of payment into the lessor, or another person in connection with this agreement, which include payment of lease, when awaiting payment from NSFAS. The lessor shall have no recourse towards the lessee for any default during the payment of rent by NSFAS," the arrangement reads.
The NSFAS terms and conditions for private accommodation vendors’ participation on the student accommodation portal also states that: "Where the NSFAS-funded student is defunded resulting from an incorrect selection by NSFAS, the student will not be answerable for payment of any arrear read more rent to your accommodation service provider, up right until click here the day of being defunded."
NSFAS spelled out that the place the NSFAS-funded student chooses to continue website occupying the leased premises, notwithstanding becoming defunded by NSFAS, the student are going to be accountable for payment of hire on the lessor from the date of staying 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 check here 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 dealt with in accordance here with any dispute resolution procedure determined by NSFAS for this purpose.
From: SAnews.gov.za