Accommodation companies urged to halt demanding deposit from NSFAS funded students
Accommodation companies urged to halt demanding deposit from NSFAS funded students
Blog Article
The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has urged landlords to not require a deposit or top-up payment from NSFAS-funded students.
This comes immediately after NSFAS been given reports about some accommodation suppliers who demand NSFAS-funded students to pay for a deposit or top-up payment in order to get use of the authorized private accommodation.
Friday, February 7, 2025
"NSFAS reminds accommodation companies with the obligatory conditions, as furnished by the Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement among the non-public accommodation providers and NSFAS funded students," NSFAS mentioned in a press release on Thursday.
The Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement states the lease will probably be paid out month to month to the accommodation supplier (lessor) by NSFAS, on behalf on the 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 need or allow the lessee to pay for a deposit, top-up payments, or some other sorts of payment into the lessor, or almost every other person in connection with this arrangement, together with payment of lease, even though awaiting payment from NSFAS. The lessor shall don't have any recourse against the lessee for any default inside the payment of rent by NSFAS," the agreement reads.
The NSFAS terms and conditions for private accommodation suppliers’ participation on the student accommodation portal also states that: "Where the NSFAS-funded student is defunded as a consequence of an incorrect choice by NSFAS, the coed will not be liable for payment of any arrear rent to the accommodation provider, up until the day of being defunded."
NSFAS defined here that the place the NSFAS-funded student chooses to continue occupying the leased premises, notwithstanding being defunded by NSFAS, the student will check here be answerable for payment of lease for the lessor from your day 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 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, check here 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 read more be dealt with in accordance with any dispute resolution procedure determined by NSFAS check here for this purpose.
From: SAnews.gov.za