Accommodation companies urged to end demanding deposit from NSFAS funded college students
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 right after NSFAS received stories about some accommodation vendors who require NSFAS-funded students to pay for a deposit or top-up payment in an effort to get access to the authorised private accommodation.
Friday, February 7, 2025
"NSFAS reminds accommodation companies from the compulsory conditions, as furnished by the Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Arrangement concerning the private accommodation suppliers and NSFAS funded students," NSFAS reported in a statement on Thursday.
The Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement states the lease will probably be paid monthly on the accommodation service provider (lessor) by NSFAS, on behalf of your lessee (NSFAS funded student), in accordance with the NSFAS terms and conditions for private accommodation providers’ participation on the student accommodation portal.
"The lessor may not demand or permit the lessee to pay for a deposit, top-up payments, or every other varieties of payment to the lessor, or any other person in reference to this arrangement, together with payment of lease, even though awaiting payment from NSFAS. The lessor shall don't have any recourse towards the lessee for any default within the payment of nsfas student document submission deadline rent by NSFAS," the arrangement 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 consequence of an incorrect selection by NSFAS, the student won't be chargeable for payment of any arrear rent towards the accommodation service provider, up until eventually the date of being defunded."
NSFAS stated that the place the NSFAS-funded get more info student chooses to carry on occupying the leased premises, notwithstanding getting defunded by NSFAS, the scholar will be chargeable for payment of rent into the lessor in the day of remaining defunded.
"Where the student is defunded by NSFAS due to a misrepresentation by the lessee/guardian at any stage, the student must immediately click here 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 here 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 dispute resolution procedure determined click here by NSFAS for this purpose.
From: SAnews.gov.za