Accommodation vendors urged to end demanding deposit from NSFAS funded university students
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 just after NSFAS received experiences about some accommodation suppliers who need NSFAS-funded students to pay for a deposit or top-up payment as a way to get use of the approved private accommodation.
Friday, February 7, 2025
"NSFAS reminds accommodation companies on the compulsory conditions, as provided by the Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Settlement amongst the non-public accommodation providers and NSFAS funded students," NSFAS explained in an announcement on Thursday.
The Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement states that the lease will be paid out every month on the accommodation provider (lessor) by NSFAS, on behalf of your lessee (NSFAS funded student), in accordance with the NSFAS conditions and terms 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 some other varieties of payment towards the lessor, or every other person in reference to this arrangement, which includes payment of hire, even though awaiting payment from NSFAS. The lessor shall haven't any recourse towards the lessee for any default from the payment of rent by NSFAS," the arrangement reads.
The NSFAS terms and conditions for private accommodation companies’ 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 accountable for payment of any arrear rent for the accommodation supplier, up right up until the date of being defunded."
NSFAS defined that more info exactly where the NSFAS-funded student chooses to carry on occupying the leased premises, read more notwithstanding staying defunded by NSFAS, the student will be answerable for payment of lease for the lessor nsfas document submission deadline in the day of getting defunded.
"Where the student is defunded by NSFAS due to a misrepresentation by the lessee/guardian at any stage, the student click here 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 rental check here 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