Accommodation vendors urged to halt demanding deposit from NSFAS funded college students
Accommodation vendors urged to halt 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 after NSFAS received stories about some accommodation vendors who require NSFAS-funded students to pay a deposit or top-up payment to be able to get use of the approved private accommodation.
Friday, February 7, 2025
"NSFAS reminds accommodation companies of your obligatory conditions, as furnished by the Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Settlement involving the personal accommodation vendors and NSFAS funded students," NSFAS said in a statement on Thursday.
The Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement states which the lease might be paid regular to your accommodation company (lessor) by NSFAS, on behalf in the lessee (NSFAS funded student), in accordance with the NSFAS conditions and terms for private accommodation providers’ participation on the student accommodation portal.
"The lessor may not need or permit the lessee to pay for a deposit, top-up payments, or almost every other sorts of payment on the lessor, or some other person in connection with this arrangement, like payment of rent, while awaiting payment from NSFAS. The lessor shall don't have any recourse against the lessee for any default from the payment of rent by NSFAS," the arrangement reads.
The NSFAS terms and conditions for private accommodation suppliers’ participation check here on the student accommodation portal also states that: "Where the NSFAS-funded student is nsfas allowances defunded due to an incorrect decision by NSFAS, the coed won't be chargeable for payment of any arrear rent towards the accommodation company, up until finally the day of being defunded."
NSFAS explained that in which the NSFAS-funded student chooses to click here carry on occupying the leased premises, notwithstanding remaining defunded by NSFAS, the scholar are going to be liable for payment of lease towards the lessor in the date of being defunded.
"Where the student is defunded by NSFAS due get more info 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 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 check here with in accordance with any dispute resolution procedure determined by NSFAS for this purpose.
From: SAnews.gov.za