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 require a deposit or top-up payment from NSFAS-funded students.
This comes following NSFAS received stories about some accommodation companies who need NSFAS-funded students to pay for a deposit or top-up payment so that you can get entry to the approved private accommodation.
Friday, February 7, 2025
"NSFAS reminds accommodation companies in the obligatory conditions, as furnished by the Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Arrangement amongst the non-public accommodation companies and NSFAS funded students," NSFAS said in a press release on Thursday.
The Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement states the rent will probably be paid regular to the accommodation company (lessor) by NSFAS, on behalf on the lessee (NSFAS funded student), in accordance with the NSFAS conditions and terms for personal accommodation suppliers’ participation on the student accommodation portal.
"The lessor may not demand or permit the lessee to pay for a deposit, top-up payments, or every other sorts of payment into the lessor, or any other person in connection here with this agreement, which include payment of hire, while click here awaiting payment from NSFAS. The website lessor shall haven't any recourse towards the lessee for any default from the payment of rent by NSFAS," the arrangement 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 coed will not be answerable for payment of any arrear nsfas student document submission deadline rent towards the accommodation company, up till the date of being defunded."
NSFAS stated that exactly where the NSFAS-funded student chooses to continue occupying the leased premises, notwithstanding staying defunded by NSFAS, the student is going to be chargeable for payment of hire to the lessor from your date of currently 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 own account," the scheme said.
The website 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