Accommodation companies urged to end demanding deposit from NSFAS funded students
The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has urged landlords not to require a deposit or top-up payment from NSFAS-funded students.
This comes following NSFAS received experiences about some accommodation vendors who demand NSFAS-funded students to pay for a deposit or top-up payment to be able to get access to the authorized private accommodation.
Friday, February 7, 2025
"NSFAS reminds accommodation companies on the obligatory conditions, as supplied by the Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Settlement concerning the personal accommodation vendors and NSFAS funded students," NSFAS explained in a statement on Thursday.
The Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement states that the lease will likely be paid out regular to your accommodation company (lessor) by NSFAS, on behalf on the lessee (NSFAS funded student), in accordance using the NSFAS terms and conditions for private accommodation vendors’ participation on the student accommodation portal.
"The lessor may not involve or allow the lessee to pay a deposit, top-up payments, or any other varieties of payment on the lessor, or every other person in reference to this arrangement, which include payment of hire, although awaiting payment from NSFAS. The lessor shall nsfas application delay have check here no recourse from the lessee for any default within the payment of rent by NSFAS," the arrangement reads.
The NSFAS terms and conditions for private accommodation suppliers’ participation on the student accommodation portal also states that: "Where the NSFAS-funded student is defunded as a result of an incorrect determination by NSFAS, the coed won't be accountable for payment of any arrear rent to your accommodation provider, up click here until the date of being defunded."
NSFAS spelled out that exactly where the NSFAS-funded student chooses to carry on occupying the leased premises, notwithstanding being defunded by NSFAS, the student is going to be liable for payment of lease for the lessor within 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 must immediately vacate the leased property; and will be liable for payment of all rent due to the accommodation provider.
"Where the website 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 here 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