Accommodation providers urged to halt demanding deposit from NSFAS funded college students
Accommodation providers urged to halt demanding deposit from NSFAS funded college 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 soon after NSFAS acquired experiences about some accommodation providers who require NSFAS-funded students to pay for a deposit or top-up payment so as to get access to the authorised private accommodation.
Friday, February 7, 2025
"NSFAS reminds accommodation companies of the obligatory conditions, as provided by the Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Arrangement concerning the personal accommodation suppliers and NSFAS funded students," NSFAS explained in a press release on Thursday.
The Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement states which the lease will be paid month to month to the accommodation 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 need or permit the lessee to pay for a deposit, top-up payments, or almost every other types of payment on the lessor, or almost every other person in reference to this agreement, together with payment of lease, whilst awaiting payment from NSFAS. The here lessor shall don't have any recourse versus the lessee for any default in the payment of rent by NSFAS," the arrangement reads.
The NSFAS nsfas document submission deadline terms and conditions for private accommodation providers’ participation on the student accommodation portal also states that: "Where the NSFAS-funded student is defunded because of an incorrect determination by NSFAS, the coed will not be accountable for payment of any arrear rent towards the accommodation provider, up till the day of being defunded."
NSFAS discussed website that in which the NSFAS-funded student chooses to carry on occupying the leased premises, notwithstanding currently being defunded by NSFAS, the student is going to be liable for payment of lease towards the lessor with the date 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 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 nsfas university allowances the new accommodation provider, and any such rental payments will be for the student own account," the scheme here 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