Accommodation vendors urged to end demanding deposit from NSFAS funded university students
Accommodation vendors urged to end demanding deposit from NSFAS funded university students
Blog Article
The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has urged landlords not to require a deposit or top-up payment from NSFAS-funded students.
This comes following NSFAS received stories about some accommodation companies who demand NSFAS-funded students to pay for a deposit or top-up payment so as to get use of the accredited private accommodation.
Friday, February 7, 2025
"NSFAS reminds accommodation companies in the obligatory conditions, as furnished by the Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Settlement amongst the private accommodation providers and NSFAS funded students," NSFAS stated in an announcement on Thursday.
The Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement states that the lease will probably be paid monthly on the accommodation company (lessor) by NSFAS, on behalf of the lessee (NSFAS funded student), in accordance with the NSFAS terms and conditions for private accommodation suppliers’ participation on the student accommodation portal.
"The lessor may not involve or allow the lessee to pay for a deposit, top-up payments, or any other types of payment for the lessor, or some other person in connection with this agreement, like payment of lease, even though awaiting payment from NSFAS. The lessor shall don't have any recourse in opposition to the lessee for any default while in the payment of rent by NSFAS," the nsfas academic pathways agreement 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 because of an incorrect determination by NSFAS, the student will not be answerable for payment of any arrear rent towards the accommodation supplier, up right up until the date of being defunded."
NSFAS described that in which the NSFAS-funded student chooses to carry on occupying the leased premises, notwithstanding being defunded by NSFAS, the scholar are going to be chargeable for payment of hire towards the lessor through the day of getting defunded.
"Where the student check here is nsfas tvet 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 click here 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 nsfas any dispute resolution procedure determined by NSFAS for this purpose.
From: SAnews.gov.za