Accommodation providers urged to halt demanding deposit from NSFAS funded college students
Accommodation providers urged to halt 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 arrives right after NSFAS acquired stories about some accommodation providers who demand NSFAS-funded students to pay a deposit or top-up payment as a way to get entry to the accepted private accommodation.
Friday, February 7, 2025
"NSFAS reminds accommodation providers of your obligatory conditions, as provided by the Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement concerning the personal accommodation suppliers and NSFAS funded students," NSFAS explained in an announcement on Thursday.
The Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement states the lease is going to be paid month-to-month into the accommodation company (lessor) by NSFAS, on behalf of 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 have to have or permit the lessee to pay for a deposit, top-up payments, or every other varieties of payment for the lessor, or another person click here in connection with this agreement, including 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 nsfas eligibility criteria rent by NSFAS," the arrangement 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 due to an incorrect choice by NSFAS, the coed won't be accountable for payment of any arrear rent into the accommodation service provider, check here up till the day of being defunded."
NSFAS discussed that wherever the NSFAS-funded student chooses to continue occupying the leased premises, notwithstanding currently being defunded by NSFAS, the scholar will be accountable for payment of lease on the lessor through the date of getting 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 click here 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 nsfas student allowances 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