Accommodation companies urged to stop demanding deposit from NSFAS funded college students
Accommodation companies 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 just after NSFAS acquired experiences about some accommodation vendors who require NSFAS-funded students to pay for a deposit or top-up payment in an effort to get usage of the accepted private accommodation.
Friday, February 7, 2025
"NSFAS reminds accommodation suppliers of your obligatory conditions, as provided by the Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement among the personal accommodation companies and NSFAS funded students," NSFAS explained in an announcement on Thursday.
The Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement states the lease might be paid out monthly towards the accommodation provider (lessor) by NSFAS, on behalf of the lessee (NSFAS funded student), in accordance using the NSFAS conditions and terms for private accommodation providers’ participation on the student accommodation portal.
"The lessor may not require or allow the lessee to pay a deposit, top-up payments, or every other forms of payment into the lessor, or some other person in connection with this arrangement, which includes payment of rent, when awaiting payment from NSFAS. The lessor shall haven't any recourse towards the lessee for any default during 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: get more info "Where the NSFAS-funded student is defunded resulting from an incorrect choice by NSFAS, the coed won't be accountable for payment of any arrear rent to your accommodation provider, up until eventually the day of being defunded."
NSFAS described that here the place the NSFAS-funded student chooses to carry on occupying the leased premises, notwithstanding remaining defunded by NSFAS, the scholar are going to be liable for payment of rent on the lessor through the day of currently being website 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 get more info 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 read more 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