Accommodation companies urged to halt demanding deposit from NSFAS funded college students
Accommodation companies urged to halt demanding deposit from NSFAS funded college students
Blog Article
The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has urged landlords to not demand a deposit or top-up payment from NSFAS-funded students.
This comes immediately after NSFAS acquired reports about some accommodation providers who need NSFAS-funded students to pay for a deposit or top-up payment as a way to get access to the permitted private accommodation.
Friday, February 7, 2025
"NSFAS reminds accommodation providers in the compulsory conditions, as furnished by the Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Settlement involving 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 might be paid month-to-month into the accommodation company (lessor) by NSFAS, on behalf in the lessee (NSFAS funded student), in accordance using the NSFAS conditions and terms for private accommodation providers’ participation on the student accommodation portal.
"The lessor may not have to have or permit the lessee to pay for a deposit, top-up payments, or any other types of payment to your lessor, or any other person in reference to this arrangement, together with payment of rent, when awaiting payment from NSFAS. The lessor shall have no recourse from the lessee for nsfas student document submission deadline any default within the payment of rent by NSFAS," the arrangement reads.
The NSFAS conditions and terms for private accommodation providers’ participation on the student accommodation portal also states that: "Where the NSFAS-funded student is defunded because of an incorrect decision by NSFAS, the student will not be liable for payment of any arrear rent website to your accommodation supplier, up nsfas eligibility criteria until the date of being defunded."
NSFAS spelled out that wherever the NSFAS-funded student chooses to carry on occupying the leased premises, notwithstanding getting defunded by NSFAS, the student are going to be answerable for payment of rent to your lessor in the day of becoming defunded.
"Where the student is defunded by NSFAS due to a misrepresentation read more 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, check here 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