Accommodation companies urged to end demanding deposit from NSFAS funded university students
The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has urged landlords never to demand a deposit or top-up payment from NSFAS-funded students.
This comes just after NSFAS obtained stories about some accommodation companies who demand NSFAS-funded students to pay a deposit or top-up payment in an effort to get access to the permitted private accommodation.
Friday, February 7, 2025
"NSFAS reminds accommodation providers with the compulsory conditions, as supplied by the Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement involving the non-public accommodation vendors and NSFAS funded students," NSFAS mentioned in a press release on Thursday.
The Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement states the lease will probably be paid every month to your accommodation supplier (lessor) by NSFAS, on behalf on the lessee (NSFAS funded student), in accordance with the NSFAS terms and conditions for private accommodation suppliers’ participation on the student accommodation portal.
"The lessor may not involve or permit the lessee to pay a deposit, top-up payments, or another varieties of payment into the lessor, or another person in reference to this nsfas tvet agreement, which includes payment of rent, whilst awaiting payment from NSFAS. The lessor shall have no recourse versus the lessee for any default inside the payment of rent by NSFAS," the agreement reads.
The NSFAS conditions and terms for private accommodation companies’ 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 coed will not be chargeable for payment of any arrear rent for the accommodation service provider, up right until the date of being defunded."
NSFAS explained that the place the NSFAS-funded student chooses to carry on check here occupying the leased premises, notwithstanding currently being defunded by NSFAS, the scholar will be chargeable for payment of rent on the lessor within the date of getting 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 nsfas document submission deadline 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 get more info 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 nsfas document submission deadline any dispute resolution procedure determined by NSFAS for this purpose.
From: SAnews.gov.za