Accommodation providers urged to end demanding deposit from NSFAS funded university students
Accommodation providers urged to end demanding deposit from NSFAS funded university students
Blog Article
The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has urged landlords to not demand a deposit or top-up payment from NSFAS-funded students.
This comes just after NSFAS gained experiences about some accommodation providers who demand NSFAS-funded students to pay for 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 the obligatory conditions, as provided by the Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Arrangement in between the non-public accommodation providers and NSFAS funded students," NSFAS reported in a statement on Thursday.
The Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement states the lease will likely be paid out regular monthly to the accommodation supplier (lessor) by NSFAS, on behalf with the lessee (NSFAS funded student), in accordance using the NSFAS terms and conditions for private accommodation suppliers’ participation on the student accommodation portal.
"The lessor may not require or permit the lessee to pay a deposit, top-up payments, or almost every other varieties of payment towards the lessor, or some other person in reference to this arrangement, together with payment of hire, while awaiting payment nsfas tvet from NSFAS. The lessor shall have no recourse towards the lessee for any default inside the payment of rent by NSFAS," the agreement reads.
The NSFAS terms and conditions for private accommodation providers’ participation on the student accommodation portal also states that: "Where the NSFAS-funded student is defunded due to an incorrect decision by NSFAS, the scholar will not be accountable for here payment of any arrear rent towards the accommodation provider, up till the day of being defunded."
NSFAS discussed that in which the NSFAS-funded student chooses to continue occupying the leased premises, notwithstanding remaining defunded by NSFAS, the student will be answerable for payment of lease towards the lessor from the day of being defunded.
"Where the student is defunded by NSFAS due to a misrepresentation by the lessee/guardian at any stage, read more the student must immediately vacate the leased property; and will be liable for payment website 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 dispute resolution get more info procedure determined by NSFAS for this purpose.
From: SAnews.gov.za