Accommodation vendors urged to end demanding deposit from NSFAS funded college students
Accommodation vendors urged to end demanding deposit from NSFAS funded college students
Blog Article
The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has urged landlords not to require a deposit or top-up payment from NSFAS-funded students.
This comes immediately after NSFAS been given stories about some accommodation suppliers who need NSFAS-funded students to pay a deposit or top-up payment as a way to get entry to the permitted private accommodation.
Friday, February 7, 2025
"NSFAS reminds accommodation vendors of your obligatory conditions, as provided by the Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Settlement involving the personal accommodation providers and NSFAS funded students," NSFAS said in an announcement on Thursday.
The Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement states that the rent will probably be paid out regular into the accommodation provider (lessor) by NSFAS, on behalf of your lessee (NSFAS funded student), in accordance using the NSFAS terms and conditions for private accommodation providers’ participation on the student accommodation portal.
"The lessor may not require or allow the lessee to pay a deposit, top-up payments, or any other sorts of payment on the lessor, or any other person in connection with this agreement, including payment of rent, when awaiting payment from NSFAS. The lessor shall have no recourse in opposition to the lessee for any default while in the payment of rent by NSFAS," the agreement more info 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 determination by NSFAS, the scholar won't be responsible for payment of any arrear rent to the get more info accommodation company, up right up until the day of being defunded."
NSFAS described that where the NSFAS-funded student chooses to continue occupying the leased premises, notwithstanding being defunded by NSFAS, the scholar is going to be responsible for payment of rent on the lessor from your date of getting defunded.
"Where the student is defunded by NSFAS due to a misrepresentation by the get more info lessee/guardian at any stage, the student check here 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 more info 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