Accommodation vendors urged to stop demanding deposit from NSFAS funded students
Accommodation vendors urged to stop 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 comes following NSFAS been given experiences about some accommodation providers who require NSFAS-funded students to pay a deposit or top-up payment so as to get usage of the approved private accommodation.
Friday, February 7, 2025
"NSFAS reminds accommodation vendors with the obligatory conditions, as supplied by the Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement in between the private accommodation vendors and NSFAS funded students," NSFAS mentioned in a statement on Thursday.
The Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement states that the lease are going to be paid monthly for the accommodation provider (lessor) by NSFAS, on behalf of the lessee (NSFAS funded student), in accordance using the NSFAS terms and conditions for personal accommodation providers’ participation on the student accommodation portal.
"The lessor may not call for or allow the lessee to pay a deposit, top-up payments, or almost every other kinds of payment towards the lessor, or another person in connection with this arrangement, such as payment of hire, although awaiting payment from NSFAS. The lessor shall don't have any recourse from the lessee for check here any default in the payment of rent by NSFAS," the agreement reads.
The NSFAS conditions and terms for private accommodation vendors’ participation on the student accommodation portal also states that: "Where the NSFAS-funded student is defunded on account of an incorrect determination by NSFAS, the student will not be chargeable for payment of any arrear nsfas tvet rent into the accommodation service provider, up right up until the date of get more info being defunded."
NSFAS stated that where by the NSFAS-funded student chooses to carry on occupying the leased premises, notwithstanding currently being defunded by NSFAS, the student will be accountable for payment of rent towards the lessor from your date of staying nsfas eligibility criteria 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 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 here the agreement, must be dealt with in accordance with any dispute resolution procedure determined by NSFAS for this purpose.
From: SAnews.gov.za