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 demand a deposit or top-up payment from NSFAS-funded students.
This comes after NSFAS received experiences about some accommodation vendors who demand NSFAS-funded students to pay a deposit or top-up payment in order to get access to the approved private accommodation.
Friday, February 7, 2025
"NSFAS reminds accommodation providers with the obligatory conditions, as furnished by the Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Settlement between the private accommodation providers and NSFAS funded students," NSFAS mentioned in a press release on Thursday.
The Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement states that the rent might be paid regular into the accommodation supplier (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 call for or allow the lessee to pay for a deposit, top-up payments, or every other sorts of payment into the lessor, or another person in reference to this agreement, including payment of hire, although awaiting payment from NSFAS. The lessor click here shall haven't any recourse in opposition to the lessee for any default within the payment of rent by NSFAS," the arrangement reads.
The NSFAS terms read more and conditions for private accommodation vendors’ participation on the student accommodation portal also states that: "Where the NSFAS-funded student is defunded on account of an incorrect decision by NSFAS, the coed won't be responsible for payment of any arrear rent into the accommodation supplier, up until the date of being defunded."
NSFAS stated that in which the NSFAS-funded student chooses to carry read more on occupying the leased premises, notwithstanding getting defunded by NSFAS, the student are going to be chargeable for payment of hire for the lessor with the day of getting 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 check here approval of NSFAS, NSFAS may elect not click here 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