Accommodation providers urged to end demanding deposit from NSFAS funded university students
The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has urged landlords never to require a deposit or top-up payment from NSFAS-funded students.
This arrives right after NSFAS received experiences about some accommodation vendors who need NSFAS-funded students to pay a deposit or top-up payment to be able to get use of the authorized private accommodation.
Friday, February 7, 2025
"NSFAS reminds accommodation suppliers with the obligatory conditions, as furnished by the Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Settlement in between the personal accommodation suppliers and NSFAS funded students," NSFAS reported in a statement on Thursday.
The Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement states which the lease will probably be paid regular monthly to your accommodation company (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 every other varieties of payment into the lessor, or another person in reference to this agreement, including payment of hire, when awaiting payment from NSFAS. The lessor shall haven't any recourse towards the lessee for any default during the here payment of rent by NSFAS," the agreement reads.
The NSFAS terms and conditions for private accommodation vendors’ participation on the student accommodation more info portal also states that: "Where the NSFAS-funded student is defunded on account of an incorrect decision by NSFAS, the scholar won't be responsible for payment of any arrear rent to your accommodation provider, up right up until the day of being defunded."
NSFAS stated that where the NSFAS-funded student chooses to continue occupying the leased premises, read more notwithstanding becoming defunded by NSFAS, the student will be answerable for payment of hire into the lessor from the day of staying defunded.
"Where the student is defunded by NSFAS due to a misrepresentation by the lessee/guardian at website any stage, the student must immediately vacate the leased property; and will be liable for payment nsfas academic pathways 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 with in accordance with any dispute resolution procedure determined by NSFAS for this purpose.
From: SAnews.gov.za