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 to not demand a deposit or top-up payment from NSFAS-funded students.
This arrives after NSFAS received experiences about some accommodation suppliers who require NSFAS-funded students to pay for a deposit or top-up payment in order to get use of the accepted private accommodation.
Friday, February 7, 2025
"NSFAS reminds accommodation providers with the obligatory conditions, as provided by the Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Settlement among the non-public accommodation providers and NSFAS funded students," NSFAS explained in a statement on Thursday.
The Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement states that the lease will likely be paid out regular monthly to the accommodation company (lessor) by NSFAS, on behalf of the lessee (NSFAS funded student), in accordance with the NSFAS terms and conditions for personal 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 any other types of payment to your lessor, or any other person in connection with this agreement, which include payment of rent, while awaiting nsfas allowances payment from NSFAS. The lessor shall have no recourse against the lessee for any default inside the payment of rent by NSFAS," the agreement more info reads.
The NSFAS conditions and terms for private accommodation vendors’ participation on the student accommodation portal also states that: "Where the NSFAS-funded student is read more defunded as a result of an incorrect choice by NSFAS, the scholar will not be answerable for payment of any arrear rent to the accommodation company, up right until the day of being defunded."
NSFAS defined that where the NSFAS-funded student chooses to carry on occupying the leased premises, notwithstanding staying defunded by NSFAS, the scholar are going to be chargeable for payment of lease on the lessor from your day of being 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 more info 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 get more info resolution procedure determined by NSFAS for this purpose.
From: SAnews.gov.za