Accommodation vendors urged to halt demanding deposit from NSFAS funded university students
Accommodation vendors urged to halt demanding deposit from NSFAS funded university students
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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 soon after NSFAS received reports about some accommodation vendors who demand NSFAS-funded students to pay a deposit or top-up payment as a way to get entry to the authorized private accommodation.
Friday, February 7, 2025
"NSFAS reminds accommodation providers of your obligatory conditions, as provided by the Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Settlement involving the personal accommodation providers and NSFAS funded students," NSFAS explained in an announcement on Thursday.
The Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement states that the lease will likely be paid monthly to your accommodation supplier (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 for a deposit, top-up payments, or every other varieties of payment on the lessor, or any other person in connection with this arrangement, which includes payment of hire, although awaiting payment from NSFAS. The lessor shall haven't any recourse towards the lessee for any default during the payment of rent by NSFAS," the agreement reads.
The NSFAS conditions and terms for private accommodation vendors’ participation on the student accommodation portal also states that: "Where the NSFAS-funded student is defunded as a result of an incorrect determination by NSFAS, the student will not be answerable for payment of any arrear rent for the accommodation company, up till the date get more info of being defunded."
NSFAS stated that exactly where the NSFAS-funded student chooses to continue occupying the leased premises, notwithstanding staying defunded by NSFAS, the scholar will be responsible for payment of lease into the lessor from the date of getting defunded.
"Where the student is defunded by NSFAS read more due to a misrepresentation by the lessee/guardian at any stage, the student must immediately vacate the leased property; and will be liable get more info for check here 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 get more info with in accordance with any dispute resolution procedure determined by NSFAS for this purpose.
From: SAnews.gov.za