Accommodation companies urged to stop demanding deposit from NSFAS funded university students
Accommodation companies urged to stop demanding deposit from NSFAS funded university students
Blog Article
The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has urged landlords not to demand a deposit or top-up payment from NSFAS-funded students.
This arrives following NSFAS obtained stories about some accommodation companies who need NSFAS-funded students to pay for a deposit or top-up payment to be able to get entry to the approved private accommodation.
Friday, February 7, 2025
"NSFAS reminds accommodation companies of your compulsory conditions, as supplied by the Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement involving the personal accommodation vendors and NSFAS funded students," NSFAS stated in a press release on Thursday.
The Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement states which the rent will be paid month-to-month towards the accommodation supplier (lessor) by NSFAS, on behalf of your lessee (NSFAS funded student), in accordance with the NSFAS terms and conditions for personal accommodation providers’ participation on the student accommodation portal.
"The lessor may not call for or allow the lessee to pay for a deposit, top-up payments, or any other varieties of payment into the lessor, or any other person in connection website with this agreement, together with payment of hire, when awaiting payment from NSFAS. The lessor shall haven't any recourse versus the lessee for any default within the payment of rent by NSFAS," the arrangement reads.
The NSFAS terms and conditions for more info private accommodation vendors’ participation on the student accommodation portal also states that: "Where the NSFAS-funded student is defunded on account of an incorrect determination by NSFAS, the student won't be responsible for payment of any arrear rent to the accommodation service provider, up nsfas right until the day of being defunded."
NSFAS spelled out that exactly where the NSFAS-funded student chooses to carry on occupying the leased premises, notwithstanding becoming defunded by NSFAS, the student is going to be liable for payment of lease to more info your lessor with the date of getting 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 the accommodation provider.
"Where the student moves, accommodation providers without the prior approval of NSFAS, NSFAS may elect not to more info 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 dispute resolution procedure determined by NSFAS for this purpose.
From: SAnews.gov.za