Accommodation suppliers 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 arrives just after NSFAS been given experiences about some accommodation suppliers who need NSFAS-funded students to pay for a deposit or top-up payment in an effort to get access to the accepted private accommodation.
Friday, February 7, 2025
"NSFAS reminds accommodation providers of the obligatory conditions, as provided by the Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Settlement involving the personal accommodation providers and NSFAS funded students," NSFAS explained in a press release on Thursday.
The Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement states that the lease might be paid monthly towards the accommodation service provider (lessor) by NSFAS, on behalf in the lessee (NSFAS funded student), in accordance with 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 some other varieties of payment to the lessor, or every other person in reference to this arrangement, including payment of rent, while awaiting payment from NSFAS. The nsfas eligibility criteria lessor shall don't have any recourse from the lessee for any default in the payment of rent by NSFAS," the arrangement reads.
The NSFAS conditions and terms for private accommodation vendors’ participation on the student accommodation portal also states that: "Where click here the NSFAS-funded student is defunded because of an incorrect decision by NSFAS, the student will not be answerable for payment of any arrear rent for the accommodation provider, up right until the day of being defunded."
NSFAS spelled out that where the NSFAS-funded student chooses to continue occupying the leased premises, notwithstanding getting defunded by NSFAS, the scholar are going to be accountable for payment of lease into the lessor from your day of remaining 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 here 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 nsfas document submission deadline emphasised that any dispute arising between the parties regarding the interpretation or implementation of the agreement, must be dealt with in accordance nsfas university allowances with any dispute resolution procedure determined by NSFAS for this purpose.
From: SAnews.gov.za