Accommodation vendors urged to stop demanding deposit from NSFAS funded students
Accommodation vendors urged to stop demanding deposit from NSFAS funded students
Blog Article
The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has urged landlords never to demand a deposit or top-up payment from NSFAS-funded students.
This comes right after NSFAS obtained reports about some accommodation suppliers who require NSFAS-funded students to pay a deposit or top-up payment so that you can get entry to the approved private accommodation.
Friday, February 7, 2025
"NSFAS reminds accommodation companies of the obligatory conditions, as furnished by the Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement amongst the non-public accommodation companies and NSFAS funded students," NSFAS explained in a press release on Thursday.
The Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement states that the lease are going to be paid out regular into the accommodation service provider (lessor) by NSFAS, on behalf from the lessee (NSFAS funded student), in accordance with the NSFAS terms and conditions for private accommodation companies’ participation on the student accommodation portal.
"The lessor may not involve or allow the lessee to pay a deposit, top-up payments, or some other types of payment towards the lessor, or another person in connection with this agreement, which include payment of lease, when awaiting payment from NSFAS. The lessor shall haven't any recourse in opposition to the lessee for any default while in the payment of rent by NSFAS," the agreement reads.
The NSFAS conditions and terms for private accommodation suppliers’ participation on the website student accommodation portal also states that: "Where the NSFAS-funded student is defunded resulting from an incorrect selection by NSFAS, the scholar will not be liable for payment of any arrear rent to your accommodation company, up right up until the day of being defunded."
NSFAS discussed that where click here the NSFAS-funded student chooses to carry on occupying the leased premises, notwithstanding being defunded by NSFAS, the student is going to be answerable nsfas status check for payment of rent on the lessor from the date of currently 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 nsfas status check 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 implementation of the agreement, must be dealt with in accordance with any nsfas student document submission deadline dispute resolution procedure determined by NSFAS for this purpose.
From: SAnews.gov.za