Accommodation vendors urged to stop demanding deposit from NSFAS funded college students
Accommodation vendors urged to stop demanding deposit from NSFAS funded college students
Blog Article
The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has urged landlords not to demand a deposit or top-up payment from NSFAS-funded students.
This comes following NSFAS acquired stories about some accommodation providers 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 of the obligatory conditions, as furnished by the Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement concerning the personal accommodation suppliers and NSFAS funded students," NSFAS said in an announcement on Thursday.
The Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement states the lease will likely be paid out month to month to your accommodation provider (lessor) by NSFAS, on behalf from the lessee (NSFAS funded student), in accordance with the NSFAS conditions and terms for personal accommodation providers’ participation on the student accommodation portal.
"The lessor may not demand or allow the lessee to pay for a deposit, top-up payments, or another forms of payment for the lessor, or some other person in connection with this agreement, like payment of lease, when awaiting payment from NSFAS. The nsfas university allowances lessor shall haven't any recourse from the lessee for any default in the payment of rent by NSFAS," the arrangement reads.
The NSFAS conditions and terms for private accommodation vendors’ participation on the student accommodation portal also states that: "Where the NSFAS-funded student is defunded because of an incorrect decision by NSFAS, the scholar won't be answerable for payment of any arrear rent into the accommodation service provider, up until the day of being defunded."
NSFAS discussed that exactly where the NSFAS-funded student chooses to continue occupying the leased premises, notwithstanding remaining read more defunded by NSFAS, the scholar will be answerable for payment of lease to the lessor with the date of staying defunded.
"Where the student is defunded by NSFAS due to a misrepresentation by the lessee/guardian at any stage, the nsfas tvet 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 nsfas allowances provider, and any such rental payments check here 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