Accommodation suppliers urged to stop demanding deposit from NSFAS funded university students
Accommodation suppliers urged to stop demanding deposit from NSFAS funded university students
Blog Article
The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has urged landlords not to demand a deposit or top-up payment from NSFAS-funded students.
This comes right after NSFAS acquired experiences about some accommodation vendors who demand NSFAS-funded students to pay for a deposit or top-up payment in an effort to get use of the accepted private accommodation.
Friday, February 7, 2025
"NSFAS reminds accommodation suppliers of your compulsory conditions, as provided by the Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Arrangement involving the non-public accommodation providers and NSFAS funded students," NSFAS said in a statement on Thursday.
The Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement states which the lease will probably be paid regular monthly to your accommodation provider (lessor) by NSFAS, on behalf of the lessee (NSFAS funded student), in accordance using the NSFAS terms and conditions for personal accommodation providers’ participation on the student accommodation portal.
"The lessor may not involve or permit the lessee to pay a deposit, top-up payments, or almost every other kinds of payment on the lessor, or some other person in connection with this arrangement, together with payment of lease, when awaiting payment from NSFAS. The lessor shall don't have any recourse towards the lessee for any default within the payment of rent by NSFAS," the arrangement reads.
The NSFAS terms and conditions for private accommodation providers’ participation on the student accommodation portal also nsfas status check states that: "Where the NSFAS-funded student is defunded as check here a result of an incorrect selection by NSFAS, the student will not be accountable for payment of any arrear rent to your accommodation service provider, up until eventually the day of being defunded."
NSFAS explained that exactly where the NSFAS-funded student chooses to continue occupying the leased premises, notwithstanding getting defunded by NSFAS, the student will be chargeable for here payment of hire into the lessor in the day of staying here 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 the new accommodation provider, and any such rental payments nsfas student allowances 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