The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has urged landlords never to demand a deposit or top-up payment from NSFAS-funded students.
This comes soon after NSFAS obtained experiences about some accommodation suppliers who require NSFAS-funded students to pay a deposit or top-up payment in order to get entry to the permitted private accommodation.
Friday, February 7, 2025
"NSFAS reminds accommodation vendors in the compulsory conditions, as supplied by the Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Settlement among the private accommodation providers and NSFAS funded students," NSFAS said in a press release on Thursday.
The Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement states which the lease will likely be paid out month-to-month for the accommodation supplier (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 require or permit the lessee to pay a deposit, top-up payments, or any other forms of payment to your lessor, or another person in connection with this arrangement, like payment of lease, when awaiting payment from nsfas document submission deadline NSFAS. The lessor shall have no recourse in opposition to the lessee for any default in here the payment of rent by NSFAS," the arrangement reads.
The NSFAS terms and 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 coed will not be answerable for payment of any arrear rent to your accommodation provider, up right until the date of being defunded."
NSFAS explained that the place the NSFAS-funded student chooses to carry on occupying the leased premises, notwithstanding staying defunded by NSFAS, the scholar are going to be chargeable for payment of hire to your 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 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 click here the prior approval check here of NSFAS, NSFAS may elect not to pay any rental to the new accommodation here 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 by NSFAS for this purpose.
From: SAnews.gov.za