Accommodation suppliers urged to end demanding deposit from NSFAS funded university students
Accommodation suppliers urged to end demanding deposit from NSFAS funded university 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 comes right after NSFAS obtained experiences about some accommodation providers who demand NSFAS-funded students to pay for a deposit or top-up payment so as to get access to the authorized private accommodation.
Friday, February 7, 2025
"NSFAS reminds accommodation companies of the obligatory conditions, as furnished by the Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Settlement amongst the private accommodation vendors and NSFAS funded students," NSFAS mentioned in an announcement on Thursday.
The Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement states that the rent is going to be paid month to month towards the accommodation service provider (lessor) by NSFAS, on behalf on the lessee (NSFAS funded student), in accordance using the NSFAS terms and conditions for private accommodation suppliers’ participation on the student accommodation portal.
"The lessor may not involve or permit the lessee to pay for a deposit, top-up payments, or any other varieties of payment to your lessor, or every other person in here connection with this arrangement, which include payment of hire, although awaiting payment from NSFAS. The lessor shall haven't any recourse against the lessee for any default in the payment of rent by NSFAS," the agreement reads.
The more info NSFAS conditions and terms for private accommodation companies’ participation on the student accommodation portal also states that: "Where the NSFAS-funded student is defunded on account click here of an incorrect determination by NSFAS, the student will not be answerable for payment of any arrear rent to the accommodation company, up till the date of being defunded."
NSFAS spelled out that where by the NSFAS-funded student chooses to carry on occupying the leased premises, notwithstanding staying defunded by NSFAS, the student are going to be accountable for payment of lease towards the lessor from the date of 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 without the prior click here 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 get more info 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