Accommodation suppliers urged to end demanding deposit from NSFAS funded university students
Accommodation suppliers urged to end demanding deposit from NSFAS funded university students
Blog Article
The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has urged landlords to not require a deposit or top-up payment from NSFAS-funded students.
This comes right after NSFAS acquired stories about some accommodation companies who require NSFAS-funded students to pay for a deposit or top-up payment to be able to get usage of the accepted private accommodation.
Friday, February 7, 2025
"NSFAS reminds accommodation companies of your compulsory conditions, as supplied by the Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Arrangement concerning the non-public accommodation vendors and NSFAS funded students," NSFAS said in a press release on Thursday.
The Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement states that the lease might be paid regular monthly for the accommodation provider (lessor) by NSFAS, on behalf of your lessee (NSFAS funded student), in accordance with the NSFAS terms and conditions for personal accommodation providers’ participation on the student accommodation portal.
"The lessor may not require or allow the lessee to pay for a deposit, top-up payments, or almost every other kinds of payment to your lessor, or some other person in connection with this arrangement, including payment of lease, when awaiting payment from NSFAS. The lessor shall haven't any recourse against the lessee for any default inside the payment of rent nsfas tvet 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 choice website by NSFAS, the coed won't be accountable for payment of any arrear rent into the accommodation company, up until finally the day of being defunded."
NSFAS described that where the NSFAS-funded student chooses to carry on occupying the leased premises, notwithstanding being defunded by NSFAS, the scholar is going to be accountable for payment click here of rent into the lessor within the day of staying defunded.
"Where the student is defunded by NSFAS due to a misrepresentation by the lessee/guardian at any stage, the student must immediately read more 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 more info 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 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