Accommodation companies urged to end demanding deposit from NSFAS funded university students
Accommodation companies 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 immediately after NSFAS gained experiences about some accommodation suppliers who require NSFAS-funded students to pay a deposit or top-up payment so as to get access to the authorised private accommodation.
Friday, February 7, 2025
"NSFAS reminds accommodation companies of your compulsory conditions, as supplied by the Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Settlement among the non-public accommodation providers and NSFAS funded students," NSFAS mentioned in a press release on Thursday.
The Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement states that the rent might be paid out every month to your accommodation supplier (lessor) by NSFAS, on behalf in the lessee (NSFAS funded student), in accordance with the NSFAS conditions and terms for personal accommodation companies’ participation on the student accommodation portal.
"The lessor may not call for or allow the lessee to pay a deposit, top-up payments, or some other varieties of payment for the lessor, or another person in connection with this agreement, including payment of rent, even though awaiting payment from NSFAS. The lessor shall have no recourse in opposition nsfas academic pathways to the lessee for any default during the payment of rent by NSFAS," the agreement reads.
The NSFAS terms and conditions for private accommodation companies’ participation on the student accommodation portal also states that: "Where the NSFAS-funded student is defunded resulting from an incorrect determination by NSFAS, the scholar won't be accountable for payment get more info of any arrear rent on the accommodation provider, up right up until the date of being defunded."
NSFAS discussed that the place the NSFAS-funded student chooses to carry on occupying the website leased premises, notwithstanding remaining defunded by NSFAS, the scholar are going to be accountable for payment of rent on the lessor from the date 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 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 scheme emphasised that any dispute arising between the parties regarding the more info interpretation or implementation of the here agreement, must be dealt with in accordance with any dispute resolution procedure determined by NSFAS for this purpose.
From: SAnews.gov.za