The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has urged landlords to not demand a deposit or top-up payment from NSFAS-funded students.
This arrives right after NSFAS received experiences about some accommodation vendors who need NSFAS-funded students to pay for a deposit or top-up payment so that you can get access to the approved private accommodation.
Friday, February 7, 2025
"NSFAS reminds accommodation suppliers of your obligatory conditions, as supplied by the Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Arrangement among the personal accommodation providers and NSFAS funded students," NSFAS reported in an announcement on Thursday.
The Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement states that the lease are going to be paid month to month for the accommodation provider (lessor) by NSFAS, on behalf of your lessee (NSFAS funded student), in accordance using the NSFAS terms and conditions for personal accommodation companies’ participation on the student accommodation portal.
"The lessor may not require or allow the lessee to pay a deposit, top-up payments, or another sorts of payment for the lessor, or another person in connection with this arrangement, together with payment of hire, although awaiting payment from NSFAS. The lessor shall have no recourse in opposition to the lessee for any default within the payment of rent by NSFAS," the arrangement reads.
The NSFAS terms and conditions for private check here accommodation vendors’ participation on the student accommodation portal also states that: "Where the NSFAS-funded student is defunded resulting from an incorrect determination by NSFAS, the student will not be chargeable for nsfas document submission deadline payment of any arrear rent towards the accommodation supplier, up until the date of being defunded."
NSFAS discussed that where by the NSFAS-funded student chooses to carry on occupying the leased premises, notwithstanding becoming defunded more info by NSFAS, the student will be responsible for payment of lease into the lessor within the day of getting 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 the interpretation or check here implementation of the agreement, must be dealt with in more info accordance with any dispute resolution procedure determined by NSFAS for this purpose.
From: SAnews.gov.za