Accommodation suppliers urged to stop demanding deposit from NSFAS funded university students
Accommodation suppliers urged to stop demanding deposit from NSFAS funded university 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 arrives just after NSFAS received experiences about some accommodation suppliers who need NSFAS-funded students to pay a deposit or top-up payment in order to get usage of the authorised private accommodation.
Friday, February 7, 2025
"NSFAS reminds accommodation vendors with the obligatory conditions, as furnished by the Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement in between the private accommodation companies and NSFAS funded students," NSFAS mentioned in an announcement on Thursday.
The Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement states that the lease is going to be paid out monthly into the accommodation provider (lessor) by NSFAS, on behalf on the lessee (NSFAS funded student), in accordance with the NSFAS conditions and terms for private accommodation suppliers’ participation on the student accommodation portal.
"The lessor may not require or permit the lessee to pay for a deposit, top-up payments, or some other varieties of payment to your lessor, or almost every other person in connection with this agreement, like payment of hire, while awaiting payment from NSFAS. The lessor shall have no recourse from nsfas eligibility criteria the lessee for any default within the payment of rent by NSFAS," the agreement reads.
The NSFAS conditions and terms for private accommodation providers’ participation on the student accommodation portal also states that: "Where the NSFAS-funded student is defunded resulting from an incorrect decision by NSFAS, the student won't be responsible for payment of any arrear rent for the accommodation service provider, read more up till the date of being defunded."
NSFAS defined that exactly where the NSFAS-funded student chooses nsfas academic pathways to continue occupying the leased premises, notwithstanding currently being defunded by NSFAS, the scholar is going to be answerable for payment of rent towards the lessor from the date of remaining defunded.
"Where the student is defunded by NSFAS due to a misrepresentation by nsfas login the lessee/guardian at any nsfas student allowances 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