Accommodation providers urged to end demanding deposit from NSFAS funded students
Accommodation providers urged to end demanding deposit from NSFAS funded 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 soon after NSFAS been given experiences about some accommodation suppliers who need NSFAS-funded students to pay a deposit or top-up payment in order to get usage of the authorized private accommodation.
Friday, February 7, 2025
"NSFAS reminds accommodation providers of the obligatory conditions, as supplied by the Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Arrangement amongst the private accommodation vendors and NSFAS funded students," NSFAS explained in an announcement on Thursday.
The Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement states that the rent will probably be paid month to month on the accommodation supplier (lessor) by NSFAS, on behalf with the lessee (NSFAS funded student), in accordance using the NSFAS conditions and terms for private accommodation suppliers’ participation on the student accommodation portal.
"The lessor may not call for or permit the lessee to pay for a deposit, top-up payments, or some other varieties of payment on the lessor, or any other person in connection with this arrangement, such as payment of lease, though awaiting payment from NSFAS. The lessor shall have no recourse from the lessee for any default inside the website payment of rent by NSFAS," the arrangement reads.
The NSFAS terms and conditions for private accommodation providers’ participation on the student accommodation portal also states that: "Where the NSFAS-funded student is defunded on account of an incorrect choice by NSFAS, the coed will not be responsible for payment of any arrear rent to the accommodation company, up right until the day of click here being defunded."
NSFAS discussed that where the NSFAS-funded student chooses to continue occupying the leased premises, notwithstanding getting defunded by NSFAS, the student are going to be answerable for payment of hire to your lessor through the day of remaining 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 nsfas eligibility criteria 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 nsfas allowances 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 more info 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