Accommodation suppliers urged to end demanding deposit from NSFAS funded university students
Accommodation suppliers urged to end demanding deposit from NSFAS funded university 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 after NSFAS received experiences about some accommodation vendors who demand NSFAS-funded students to pay for a deposit or top-up payment in order to get use of the approved private accommodation.
Friday, February 7, 2025
"NSFAS reminds accommodation companies on the obligatory conditions, as provided by the Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Arrangement involving the non-public accommodation providers and NSFAS funded students," NSFAS stated in an announcement on Thursday.
The Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement states the lease will be paid out month to month towards the accommodation service provider (lessor) by NSFAS, on behalf in the lessee (NSFAS funded student), in accordance with the NSFAS conditions and terms for private accommodation suppliers’ participation on the student accommodation portal.
"The lessor may not need or allow the lessee to pay a deposit, top-up payments, or almost every other types of payment into the lessor, or some other person in reference to this arrangement, including payment of lease, though awaiting payment from NSFAS. The lessor shall don't have any recourse towards the lessee for any default from the payment of rent by NSFAS," the agreement reads.
The NSFAS terms and conditions for private accommodation vendors’ participation on the student accommodation portal website also states that: "Where the NSFAS-funded student is defunded more info as a result of an incorrect determination by NSFAS, the student will not be chargeable for payment of any arrear rent to the accommodation provider, up right until the date of being defunded."
NSFAS explained that wherever the NSFAS-funded student chooses to continue occupying the leased premises, notwithstanding remaining defunded by NSFAS, the student is check here going to be answerable for payment of rent to 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 here 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 the agreement, must be dealt here with in accordance with any dispute resolution procedure determined by NSFAS for this purpose.
From: SAnews.gov.za