Accommodation suppliers urged to stop demanding deposit from NSFAS funded college students
Accommodation suppliers urged to stop demanding deposit from NSFAS funded college 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 arrives immediately after NSFAS gained reports about some accommodation suppliers who require NSFAS-funded students to pay a deposit or top-up payment to be able to get use of the authorised private accommodation.
Friday, February 7, 2025
"NSFAS reminds accommodation suppliers of your compulsory conditions, as provided by the Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement between the non-public accommodation suppliers and NSFAS funded students," NSFAS mentioned in an announcement on Thursday.
The Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement states that the rent will be paid out every month to the accommodation provider (lessor) by NSFAS, on behalf from the lessee (NSFAS funded student), in accordance using the NSFAS terms and conditions for personal accommodation vendors’ participation on the student accommodation portal.
"The lessor may not need or permit the lessee to pay for a deposit, top-up payments, or some other varieties of payment to your lessor, or every other person in reference to this arrangement, together here with payment of hire, even though awaiting payment from NSFAS. The lessor shall haven't any recourse against the lessee for any default in the payment of rent by NSFAS," the agreement reads.
The NSFAS conditions and terms for private accommodation providers’ participation on the student accommodation portal also states that: "Where the NSFAS-funded student is defunded because of an incorrect decision by NSFAS, the coed will not be liable for payment of any arrear rent into the accommodation provider, up right until the date here of being defunded."
NSFAS defined that where the NSFAS-funded student chooses to continue occupying the leased premises, notwithstanding being defunded by NSFAS, the student are going to be chargeable for payment of rent to your lessor from your day of becoming defunded.
"Where the student is defunded by NSFAS due to a misrepresentation by the lessee/guardian at any stage, the student must immediately check here 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 nsfas eligibility criteria student here 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