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 to not require a deposit or top-up payment from NSFAS-funded students.
This arrives just after NSFAS gained experiences about some accommodation suppliers who demand NSFAS-funded students to pay a deposit or top-up payment so as to get use of the approved private accommodation.
Friday, February 7, 2025
"NSFAS reminds accommodation vendors of the compulsory conditions, as furnished by the Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Settlement amongst the personal accommodation vendors and NSFAS funded students," NSFAS explained in a press release on Thursday.
The Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement states that the lease is going to be paid out every month towards the accommodation provider (lessor) by NSFAS, on behalf from the lessee (NSFAS funded student), in accordance with the NSFAS terms and conditions for private accommodation providers’ participation on the student accommodation portal.
"The lessor may not demand or permit the lessee to pay a deposit, top-up payments, or any other sorts of payment to your lessor, or any other person in connection with this agreement, such as payment of hire, even though awaiting payment from NSFAS. The lessor shall have no recourse towards the lessee for any default nsfas tvet in the payment of rent by NSFAS," the agreement reads.
The NSFAS terms and conditions for private accommodation companies’ participation on the student accommodation portal also states that: "Where the NSFAS-funded student is defunded because of an incorrect choice by NSFAS, the scholar won't be answerable for payment of any arrear rent to the accommodation supplier, up right up until more info the day of being defunded."
NSFAS discussed that exactly where the NSFAS-funded student chooses to carry on occupying nsfas login the leased premises, notwithstanding being defunded by NSFAS, the student is going to be answerable for payment of rent to the lessor through 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 here be liable for payment of all rent due to the accommodation provider.
"Where the student moves, accommodation providers without the prior approval of website 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