Accommodation vendors urged to end demanding deposit from NSFAS funded college students
Accommodation vendors urged to end demanding deposit from NSFAS funded college 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 experiences about some accommodation companies who demand NSFAS-funded students to pay a deposit or top-up payment to be able to get entry to the accepted private accommodation.
Friday, February 7, 2025
"NSFAS reminds accommodation companies on the compulsory conditions, as provided by the Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement between the non-public accommodation suppliers and NSFAS funded students," NSFAS mentioned in a press release on Thursday.
The Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement states the lease are going to be paid regular monthly to your accommodation company (lessor) by NSFAS, on behalf from the lessee (NSFAS funded student), in accordance using the NSFAS terms and conditions for personal accommodation providers’ participation on the student accommodation portal.
"The lessor may not involve or allow the lessee to pay a deposit, top-up payments, or almost every other types of payment to your lessor, or any other person in connection with this agreement, such as payment of lease, while awaiting payment from NSFAS. The lessor shall don't have any recourse versus the lessee for any default inside the payment of rent by NSFAS," the agreement reads.
The NSFAS terms and conditions for private accommodation providers’ nsfas application delay participation on the student accommodation portal also states that: nsfas student document submission deadline "Where the NSFAS-funded student is defunded as a result of an incorrect decision by NSFAS, the coed won't be liable for payment of any arrear rent towards the accommodation provider, up right up until the date of being defunded."
NSFAS spelled out that where the NSFAS-funded student chooses to carry on occupying the leased nsfas application delay premises, notwithstanding staying defunded by NSFAS, the scholar is going to be responsible for payment of lease for the lessor through 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 click here the prior approval of NSFAS, NSFAS may elect not to pay any rental to the new accommodation nsfas academic pathways 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