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 not to demand a deposit or top-up payment from NSFAS-funded students.
This comes following NSFAS acquired reports about some accommodation providers who demand NSFAS-funded students to pay a deposit or top-up payment in an effort to get usage of the authorized private accommodation.
Friday, February 7, 2025
"NSFAS reminds accommodation companies with the obligatory conditions, as provided by the Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Settlement concerning the personal accommodation providers and NSFAS funded students," NSFAS explained in a statement on Thursday.
The Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement states which the rent are going to be paid monthly to your accommodation provider (lessor) by NSFAS, on behalf on the lessee (NSFAS funded student), in accordance with the NSFAS conditions and terms for personal accommodation suppliers’ participation on the student accommodation portal.
"The lessor may not need or permit the lessee to pay a deposit, top-up payments, or almost every other varieties of payment to the lessor, or almost every other person in reference to this agreement, which includes payment of lease, though awaiting payment from NSFAS. The lessor shall haven't any recourse in opposition to the lessee for any default inside the payment of rent by NSFAS," the arrangement 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 as a result of an incorrect decision by NSFAS, the website student won't be responsible for payment of any arrear rent into the accommodation supplier, up right until the date of being defunded."
NSFAS described that in which the NSFAS-funded student chooses click here to continue occupying the leased premises, notwithstanding being defunded by NSFAS, the scholar is going to be accountable for payment of hire to your lessor through the date of staying defunded.
"Where the student is defunded by NSFAS due to a misrepresentation by the website lessee/guardian at more info any stage, the student must immediately vacate the leased property; and will be liable for payment of website 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 procedure determined by NSFAS for this purpose.
From: SAnews.gov.za