The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has urged landlords not to demand a deposit or top-up payment from NSFAS-funded students.
This arrives soon after NSFAS obtained stories about some accommodation companies who demand NSFAS-funded students to pay for a deposit or top-up payment so as to get access to the approved private accommodation.
Friday, February 7, 2025
"NSFAS reminds accommodation providers in the obligatory conditions, as furnished by the Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement among the personal accommodation companies and NSFAS funded students," NSFAS mentioned in a statement on Thursday.
The Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement states that the lease will be paid regular monthly to your accommodation company (lessor) by NSFAS, on behalf with the lessee (NSFAS funded student), in accordance with the NSFAS terms and conditions for personal accommodation suppliers’ participation on the student accommodation portal.
"The lessor may not need or allow the lessee to pay for a deposit, top-up payments, or any other varieties of payment into the lessor, or almost every other person in connection with this arrangement, like 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 arrangement reads.
The NSFAS terms and read more conditions for private accommodation suppliers’ 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 nsfas university allowances will not be answerable for payment of any arrear rent for the accommodation service provider, up right up until the day of being defunded."
NSFAS described that wherever the NSFAS-funded student chooses to carry on occupying the leased premises, notwithstanding becoming defunded by NSFAS, the student is read more going to be answerable for payment of hire towards the lessor from your date 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 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 regarding website the interpretation or implementation of the agreement, must be dealt with in accordance with any dispute resolution nsfas login procedure determined by NSFAS for this purpose.
From: SAnews.gov.za