Accommodation providers urged to end demanding deposit from NSFAS funded students
Accommodation providers urged to end demanding deposit from NSFAS funded 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 arrives immediately after NSFAS gained reports about some accommodation vendors who need NSFAS-funded students to pay a deposit or top-up payment to be able to get usage of the accepted private accommodation.
Friday, February 7, 2025
"NSFAS reminds accommodation vendors in the obligatory conditions, as furnished by the Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement amongst the non-public accommodation providers and NSFAS funded students," NSFAS stated in an announcement on Thursday.
The Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement states the lease will be paid month to month into the accommodation provider (lessor) by NSFAS, on behalf from the lessee (NSFAS funded student), in accordance with the NSFAS terms and conditions for private accommodation providers’ participation on the student accommodation portal.
"The lessor may not need or permit the lessee to pay for a deposit, top-up payments, or almost every other sorts of payment on the lessor, or some other person in connection with this arrangement, together with payment of lease, even though awaiting payment from NSFAS. The lessor shall don't have any recourse towards the lessee for click here any default in the payment of rent by NSFAS," the arrangement reads.
The NSFAS terms and conditions for private accommodation vendors’ participation on the student accommodation portal also states that: "Where the NSFAS-funded student is defunded resulting from an incorrect decision by NSFAS, the student will not be chargeable for payment of any arrear rent into the accommodation provider, up right until the day of being defunded."
NSFAS defined that in which the NSFAS-funded student chooses to carry on occupying the leased premises, notwithstanding currently being defunded by NSFAS, the student will be answerable click here for payment of lease into the lessor from the date of becoming defunded.
"Where check here the student is defunded by NSFAS due to a misrepresentation by the lessee/guardian at any stage, the click here 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 pay any nsfas tvet 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