The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has urged landlords not to require a deposit or top-up payment from NSFAS-funded students.
This comes soon after NSFAS obtained experiences about some accommodation providers who require NSFAS-funded students to pay a deposit or top-up payment to be able to get use of the authorised private accommodation.
Friday, February 7, 2025
"NSFAS reminds accommodation suppliers from the obligatory conditions, as supplied by the Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Arrangement amongst the personal accommodation companies and NSFAS funded students," NSFAS explained in a press release on Thursday.
The Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement states which the rent is going to be paid out month-to-month into the 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 involve or permit the lessee to pay a deposit, top-up payments, or any other varieties of payment to your lessor, or any other person in reference to this agreement, such as payment of hire, even though awaiting payment from NSFAS. The lessor shall have no recourse versus the lessee for any default from the payment of rent by NSFAS," the agreement reads.
The NSFAS conditions and terms for private get more info accommodation vendors’ participation on the student accommodation portal also states that: "Where the NSFAS-funded student get more info is defunded as a result of an incorrect determination by NSFAS, the student will not be answerable for payment of any arrear rent to your accommodation provider, up right up until the day of being defunded."
NSFAS explained that in which the NSFAS-funded student chooses to carry on occupying the leased premises, notwithstanding remaining defunded by NSFAS, the scholar is going to be chargeable for payment of hire to the lessor from your date of staying defunded.
"Where the nsfas student document submission deadline student is defunded by NSFAS due to a misrepresentation by the lessee/guardian at any stage, the student must immediately vacate the leased more info 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 the interpretation or implementation of the agreement, must be dealt with in accordance with any nsfas login dispute resolution procedure determined by NSFAS for this purpose.
From: SAnews.gov.za