Accommodation suppliers urged to stop demanding deposit from NSFAS funded university students
Accommodation suppliers urged to stop demanding deposit from NSFAS funded university 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 arrives after NSFAS received reports about some accommodation providers who require NSFAS-funded students to pay for a deposit or top-up payment in order to get usage of the authorized private accommodation.
Friday, February 7, 2025
"NSFAS reminds accommodation providers of your obligatory conditions, as furnished by the Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement involving the non-public accommodation suppliers and NSFAS funded students," NSFAS reported in a press release on Thursday.
The Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement states the rent is going to be paid out monthly on the accommodation service provider (lessor) by NSFAS, on behalf of your lessee (NSFAS funded student), in accordance using the NSFAS terms and conditions for private accommodation vendors’ participation on the student accommodation portal.
"The lessor may not involve or permit the lessee to pay a deposit, top-up payments, or every other forms of payment for the lessor, or another person in connection with this arrangement, like payment of rent, though awaiting payment from NSFAS. The lessor shall don't have any recourse check here towards the lessee for any default while in the payment of rent by NSFAS," the arrangement reads.
The NSFAS terms and conditions for private accommodation companies’ participation on the student accommodation portal also states that: "Where the NSFAS-funded student check here is defunded as a result of an incorrect determination by NSFAS, the coed won't be accountable for payment of any arrear rent into 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 remaining defunded by NSFAS, the scholar will be chargeable for payment of lease into the lessor from your day read more of becoming defunded.
"Where the student is click here 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 click here 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 with any dispute resolution procedure determined by NSFAS for this purpose.
From: SAnews.gov.za