Accommodation vendors urged to end demanding deposit from NSFAS funded university students
Accommodation vendors 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 arrives following NSFAS acquired reports about some accommodation vendors who demand NSFAS-funded students to pay a deposit or top-up payment in order to get use of the accepted private accommodation.
Friday, February 7, 2025
"NSFAS reminds accommodation vendors on 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 the lease will likely be paid out month to month into the accommodation provider (lessor) by NSFAS, on behalf in the lessee (NSFAS funded student), in accordance using the NSFAS terms and conditions for personal accommodation suppliers’ participation on the student accommodation portal.
"The lessor may not involve or allow the lessee to pay for a deposit, top-up payments, or every other forms of payment on the lessor, or almost every other person in connection with this arrangement, which includes payment of rent, whilst awaiting payment from NSFAS. The lessor shall haven't check here any recourse from the lessee for any default while in the payment of rent by NSFAS," the arrangement reads.
The NSFAS terms and conditions for private accommodation suppliers’ participation on the student accommodation portal also states that: "Where the NSFAS-funded student is defunded on account of an incorrect decision by NSFAS, the scholar will not be answerable for payment of any arrear rent towards the accommodation company, up right until the date of being defunded."
NSFAS spelled out that exactly where the NSFAS-funded student chooses to continue read more occupying the leased premises, notwithstanding remaining defunded by NSFAS, the student is going to get more info be chargeable for payment of hire to the lessor in the day of currently being defunded.
"Where the more info 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 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 for the student own account," the scheme said.
The scheme emphasised that any dispute arising between the parties regarding the interpretation or website 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