Accommodation companies urged to halt demanding deposit from NSFAS funded college students
Accommodation companies urged to halt demanding deposit from NSFAS funded college students
Blog Article
The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has urged landlords never to require a deposit or top-up payment from NSFAS-funded students.
This comes right after NSFAS received stories about some accommodation suppliers who demand NSFAS-funded students to pay a deposit or top-up payment to be able to get use of the accepted private accommodation.
Friday, February 7, 2025
"NSFAS reminds accommodation vendors from the obligatory conditions, as provided by the Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Settlement involving the personal accommodation companies and NSFAS funded students," NSFAS explained in an announcement on Thursday.
The Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement states the lease will be paid month-to-month on the accommodation service provider (lessor) by NSFAS, on behalf with the lessee (NSFAS funded student), in accordance with the NSFAS terms and conditions for personal accommodation suppliers’ participation on the student accommodation portal.
"The lessor may not call for or permit the lessee to pay a deposit, top-up payments, or almost every other sorts of payment into the lessor, or almost every other person in reference to this agreement, like payment of nsfas student allowances rent, whilst awaiting payment from NSFAS. The lessor shall have no recourse versus the lessee for any default in the payment of rent by NSFAS," website 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 resulting from an incorrect choice by NSFAS, the student won't be responsible for payment of any arrear rent for the accommodation provider, up till the day of here being defunded."
NSFAS discussed that exactly where the NSFAS-funded student chooses to carry on occupying the click here leased premises, notwithstanding getting defunded by NSFAS, the scholar is going to be liable for payment of lease towards the lessor within the read more date 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, 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 for this purpose.
From: SAnews.gov.za