The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has urged landlords to not demand a deposit or top-up payment from NSFAS-funded students.
This arrives right after NSFAS received stories about some accommodation vendors who demand NSFAS-funded students to pay for a deposit or top-up payment so as to get usage of the authorized private accommodation.
Friday, February 7, 2025
"NSFAS reminds accommodation companies on the compulsory conditions, as furnished by the Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Arrangement involving the non-public accommodation suppliers and NSFAS funded students," NSFAS reported in a press release on Thursday.
The Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement states that the rent will probably be paid regular to your accommodation service provider (lessor) by NSFAS, on behalf of your lessee (NSFAS funded student), in accordance using the NSFAS terms and conditions for personal accommodation vendors’ participation on the student accommodation portal.
"The lessor may not have to have or permit the lessee to pay for a deposit, top-up payments, or every other varieties of payment to the lessor, or another person in connection with this arrangement, which includes payment of hire, though 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 terms and conditions for private accommodation companies’ participation on the student accommodation portal also states that: "Where click here the NSFAS-funded student is defunded due to an incorrect choice by NSFAS, the coed won't be answerable for payment of any arrear rent for the accommodation supplier, up till the date of being defunded."
NSFAS described that the place the NSFAS-funded student chooses to carry on occupying nsfas login the leased premises, notwithstanding getting website defunded by NSFAS, the scholar will be liable for payment of hire on the lessor with the day of currently being defunded.
"Where the student is defunded by NSFAS due to a misrepresentation by the lessee/guardian at any stage, the student must nsfas academic pathways 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 will be for the student own account," the scheme said.
The scheme emphasised that any dispute arising between the parties click here 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