Accommodation vendors urged to halt demanding deposit from NSFAS funded students
Accommodation vendors urged to halt demanding deposit from NSFAS funded students
Blog Article
The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has urged landlords not to demand a deposit or top-up payment from NSFAS-funded students.
This comes soon after NSFAS received reports about some accommodation providers who require NSFAS-funded students to pay for a deposit or top-up payment in an effort to get use of the accredited private accommodation.
Friday, February 7, 2025
"NSFAS reminds accommodation companies with the compulsory conditions, as furnished by the Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Settlement involving the personal accommodation providers and NSFAS funded students," NSFAS reported in an announcement on Thursday.
The Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement states the rent are going to be paid month to month towards the accommodation service provider (lessor) by NSFAS, on behalf of your lessee (NSFAS funded student), in accordance using the NSFAS terms and conditions for private accommodation vendors’ participation on the student accommodation portal.
"The lessor may not involve or allow the lessee to pay a deposit, top-up payments, or another varieties of payment towards the lessor, or some other person in nsfas academic pathways connection with this arrangement, together with payment of rent, even though awaiting payment website from NSFAS. The lessor shall don't have any recourse versus the lessee for any default 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 due to an incorrect decision by NSFAS, the student won't be answerable for payment of any read more arrear rent to the accommodation service provider, up right until the day of being defunded."
NSFAS defined that the place the NSFAS-funded student chooses to carry on occupying the leased premises, notwithstanding staying defunded by NSFAS, the student are going to be accountable for payment of hire on the lessor from your day of getting defunded.
"Where the student is defunded by NSFAS due to a misrepresentation by the lessee/guardian at click here 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 website 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