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 to not demand a deposit or top-up payment from NSFAS-funded students.
This comes right after NSFAS received stories about some accommodation suppliers who require NSFAS-funded students to pay for a deposit or top-up payment so as to get usage of the accepted private accommodation.
Friday, February 7, 2025
"NSFAS reminds accommodation suppliers of the compulsory conditions, as provided by the Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement among the personal accommodation providers and NSFAS funded students," NSFAS reported in a statement on Thursday.
The Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement states which the rent are going to be paid monthly into the accommodation service provider (lessor) by NSFAS, on behalf of the lessee (NSFAS funded student), in accordance using the NSFAS conditions and terms for private accommodation companies’ participation on the student accommodation portal.
"The lessor may not demand or allow the lessee to pay a deposit, top-up payments, or every other varieties of payment on the lessor, or some other person in connection read more with this arrangement, which includes payment of rent, when awaiting payment from NSFAS. The lessor shall don't have any recourse against the lessee for any default from the payment of rent by NSFAS," the agreement reads.
The NSFAS conditions and terms for private accommodation companies’ participation on the student accommodation portal also states that: "Where the NSFAS-funded student is defunded due to an incorrect selection by NSFAS, the student will not be liable for payment of any arrear rent to your accommodation provider, up until eventually the date of being defunded."
NSFAS described that where by the NSFAS-funded student chooses to continue occupying the leased premises, notwithstanding currently being defunded by NSFAS, the scholar are going read more to be liable for payment of rent nsfas eligibility criteria to your lessor from the date of getting defunded.
"Where the student is defunded by NSFAS due to a misrepresentation by the here lessee/guardian at any stage, the student must immediately vacate the leased property; and will be liable for payment nsfas status check 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 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