Accommodation suppliers urged to halt demanding deposit from NSFAS funded students
Accommodation suppliers urged to halt demanding deposit from NSFAS funded 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 acquired experiences about some accommodation suppliers who demand NSFAS-funded students to pay a deposit or top-up payment in an effort to get usage of the accepted private accommodation.
Friday, February 7, 2025
"NSFAS reminds accommodation suppliers of the compulsory conditions, as furnished by the Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement amongst the private accommodation suppliers and NSFAS funded students," NSFAS said in an announcement on Thursday.
The Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement states which the rent might be paid out regular towards the accommodation company (lessor) by NSFAS, on behalf of the lessee (NSFAS funded student), in accordance with the NSFAS terms and conditions for private accommodation companies’ 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 some other forms of payment to the lessor, or almost every other person in connection with this arrangement, such as payment of lease, whilst awaiting payment from NSFAS. The lessor shall haven't any recourse towards the lessee for any default nsfas document submission deadline in the payment of rent by NSFAS," the arrangement reads.
The NSFAS conditions and terms for private accommodation suppliers’ participation on the student accommodation portal also states that: "Where the NSFAS-funded student is defunded as a result of an incorrect choice by NSFAS, the scholar won't be responsible for payment of any arrear rent into the accommodation supplier, up right up until the date of being defunded."
NSFAS explained that the place the NSFAS-funded student chooses to carry on occupying the leased premises, notwithstanding staying defunded by NSFAS, the student is going to be chargeable for payment of hire to the lessor within the day of being defunded.
"Where the student is defunded by NSFAS due to a misrepresentation by the lessee/guardian at any stage, more info the student must immediately vacate the read more 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 more info 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 nsfas tvet for this purpose.
From: SAnews.gov.za