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 to not require a deposit or top-up payment from NSFAS-funded students.
This comes immediately after NSFAS obtained stories about some accommodation suppliers who require NSFAS-funded students to pay a deposit or top-up payment so that you can get use of the permitted private accommodation.
Friday, February 7, 2025
"NSFAS reminds accommodation companies on the compulsory conditions, as furnished by the Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement amongst the personal accommodation companies and NSFAS funded students," NSFAS said in a press release on Thursday.
The Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement states that the lease will be paid out month-to-month to the accommodation company (lessor) by NSFAS, on behalf from the lessee (NSFAS funded student), in accordance using the NSFAS conditions and terms for private accommodation companies’ participation on the student accommodation portal.
"The lessor may not call for or permit the lessee to pay for a deposit, top-up payments, or another varieties of payment on the lessor, or any other person in reference to this agreement, which include payment of nsfas status check hire, although awaiting payment from NSFAS. The lessor shall don't have any recourse from the lessee for any default inside the payment of rent by NSFAS," the agreement reads.
The NSFAS terms and conditions for private accommodation vendors’ participation on the student accommodation portal also states that: "Where the NSFAS-funded student is defunded resulting from an incorrect decision by NSFAS, the student won't website be liable for payment of any arrear rent to the accommodation service provider, up right up until the date of being defunded."
NSFAS spelled out that where by the NSFAS-funded student chooses to continue occupying the leased premises, notwithstanding staying defunded by NSFAS, the student will be responsible for payment of lease on the lessor with the day of staying defunded.
"Where the student is defunded by NSFAS due to a nsfas academic pathways 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 click here 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 nsfas academic pathways 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