Accommodation companies urged to stop demanding deposit from NSFAS funded college students
Accommodation companies urged to stop 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 arrives soon after NSFAS acquired experiences about some accommodation vendors who require NSFAS-funded students to pay for a deposit or top-up payment as a way to get access to the authorized private accommodation.
Friday, February 7, 2025
"NSFAS reminds accommodation providers with the obligatory conditions, as provided by the Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement amongst the personal accommodation suppliers and NSFAS funded students," NSFAS said in a statement on Thursday.
The Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement states which the lease are going to be paid regular into the accommodation service provider (lessor) by NSFAS, on behalf with the lessee (NSFAS funded student), in accordance with the NSFAS terms and conditions for personal 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 into the lessor, or another person in reference to this agreement, together with get more info payment of lease, whilst awaiting payment from NSFAS. The lessor shall have no recourse from the lessee for any default inside the payment of rent by NSFAS," the agreement reads.
The NSFAS conditions and terms for private accommodation providers’ participation on the student accommodation portal also states nsfas academic pathways 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 towards the accommodation service provider, up right up until the day of being defunded."
NSFAS discussed that where the NSFAS-funded student chooses to continue occupying the get more info leased premises, notwithstanding currently being defunded by NSFAS, the scholar are going to be accountable for payment of lease to your lessor from the date of becoming defunded.
"Where the student is defunded by NSFAS due to a misrepresentation by the lessee/guardian at any stage, the student must immediately more info 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 website 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