Accommodation vendors urged to stop demanding deposit from NSFAS funded college students
Accommodation vendors urged to stop demanding deposit from NSFAS funded college students
Blog Article
The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has urged landlords never to demand a deposit or top-up payment from NSFAS-funded students.
This comes right after NSFAS acquired reports about some accommodation companies who demand NSFAS-funded students to pay a deposit or top-up payment as a way to get use of the accredited private accommodation.
Friday, February 7, 2025
"NSFAS reminds accommodation vendors from the compulsory conditions, as supplied by the Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Settlement among the personal accommodation suppliers and NSFAS funded students," NSFAS reported in a press release on Thursday.
The Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement states that the lease will be paid out month-to-month on the accommodation supplier (lessor) by NSFAS, on behalf on the lessee (NSFAS funded student), in accordance using the NSFAS conditions and terms for personal accommodation vendors’ participation on the student accommodation portal.
"The lessor may not need or allow the lessee to pay for a deposit, top-up payments, or every other varieties of payment into the lessor, or almost every other person in connection with this arrangement, like payment get more info of rent, though here awaiting payment from NSFAS. The lessor shall have no recourse in opposition to the lessee for any default in the payment of rent by NSFAS," the arrangement reads.
The NSFAS terms and conditions for private accommodation vendors’ participation on the student accommodation portal also states that: "Where the NSFAS-funded student is defunded due to an incorrect determination by NSFAS, the scholar will not be liable for payment of any arrear read more rent to your accommodation supplier, up until finally the day of being defunded."
NSFAS spelled out that in which the NSFAS-funded student chooses to carry on occupying the leased premises, notwithstanding nsfas university allowances currently being defunded by NSFAS, the scholar is going to be answerable for payment of lease into the lessor from your day of becoming 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 here 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