Accommodation suppliers urged to end demanding deposit from NSFAS funded students
Accommodation suppliers urged to end demanding deposit from NSFAS funded 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 arrives soon after NSFAS gained reports about some accommodation vendors who require NSFAS-funded students to pay for a deposit or top-up payment in an effort to get access to the authorised private accommodation.
Friday, February 7, 2025
"NSFAS reminds accommodation companies on the compulsory conditions, as furnished by the Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement concerning the personal accommodation vendors and NSFAS funded students," NSFAS mentioned in a press release on Thursday.
The Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement states that the lease will probably be paid out month to month into the accommodation supplier (lessor) by NSFAS, on behalf on the lessee (NSFAS funded student), in accordance using the NSFAS terms and conditions for private accommodation suppliers’ participation on the student accommodation portal.
"The lessor may not require or permit the lessee to pay a deposit, top-up payments, or almost every other varieties of payment towards the lessor, or every other person in reference to this agreement, like payment of rent, while awaiting payment from NSFAS. The lessor shall don't have any recourse in opposition to the lessee get more info for any default in the payment of rent by NSFAS," the 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 due to an nsfas academic pathways incorrect decision by NSFAS, the scholar won't click here be accountable for payment more info of any arrear rent to your accommodation provider, up right until the date of being defunded."
NSFAS discussed that the place the NSFAS-funded student chooses to continue occupying the leased premises, notwithstanding staying defunded by NSFAS, the student are going to be responsible for payment of hire to your lessor with the date of 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 scheme emphasised here 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