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 never to require a deposit or top-up payment from NSFAS-funded students.
This comes soon after NSFAS received reports about some accommodation vendors who need NSFAS-funded students to pay a deposit or top-up payment as a way to get usage of the approved private accommodation.
Friday, February 7, 2025
"NSFAS reminds accommodation companies from the compulsory conditions, as provided by the Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement between the private accommodation suppliers and NSFAS funded students," NSFAS said in an announcement on Thursday.
The Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement states which the lease will likely be paid out every month to the accommodation provider (lessor) by NSFAS, on behalf from the lessee (NSFAS funded student), in accordance using the NSFAS conditions and terms for personal accommodation suppliers’ participation on the student accommodation portal.
"The lessor may not involve or permit the lessee to pay for a deposit, top-up payments, or another varieties of payment to the lessor, or every other person in connection with this arrangement, like payment of rent, even though awaiting payment from NSFAS. The lessor shall don't have any recourse towards the lessee for any default within the payment of rent by NSFAS," the arrangement reads.
The NSFAS conditions and terms for private accommodation suppliers’ participation on the student accommodation portal also states that: "Where the NSFAS-funded student is defunded as website a consequence of an incorrect decision by NSFAS, the student will not be responsible for payment of any arrear rent to your accommodation supplier, up right up until the day of being defunded."
NSFAS discussed that in which the NSFAS-funded student chooses to carry on occupying the leased premises, notwithstanding becoming defunded by NSFAS, the scholar are going to be accountable for payment of rent on the lessor nsfas login from the date of getting defunded.
"Where the student is defunded check here 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 check here 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: get more info SAnews.gov.za