The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has urged landlords to not require a deposit or top-up payment from NSFAS-funded students.
This comes immediately after NSFAS acquired stories about some accommodation vendors who need NSFAS-funded students to pay for a deposit or top-up payment so as to get access to the permitted private accommodation.
Friday, February 7, 2025
"NSFAS reminds accommodation vendors of your obligatory conditions, as furnished by the Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Settlement in between the private accommodation companies and NSFAS funded students," NSFAS mentioned in a press release on Thursday.
The Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement states that the rent is going to be paid regular to your accommodation service provider (lessor) by NSFAS, on behalf from the lessee (NSFAS funded student), in accordance with the NSFAS conditions and terms for personal accommodation companies’ participation on the student accommodation portal.
"The lessor may not demand or permit the lessee to pay a deposit, top-up payments, or every other forms of payment into the lessor, or some other person in connection with this agreement, such as payment of lease, although awaiting payment from NSFAS. The lessor shall have no recourse from the lessee for any default while in the payment of rent by NSFAS," the arrangement reads.
The NSFAS terms and click here conditions for private accommodation vendors’ participation on the student accommodation portal also states that: "Where the NSFAS-funded check here student is defunded on account of an incorrect decision by NSFAS, the coed won't be responsible for payment of any arrear rent to your accommodation provider, up until eventually the day of being defunded."
NSFAS defined that in which the here NSFAS-funded student chooses to carry on occupying the leased premises, notwithstanding getting defunded by NSFAS, the scholar is going to be chargeable for payment of rent on the lessor through the date of becoming 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, check here 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 get more info dispute resolution procedure determined by NSFAS for this purpose.
From: SAnews.gov.za