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 after NSFAS obtained experiences about some accommodation providers who require NSFAS-funded students to pay for a deposit or top-up payment as a way to get use of the authorised private accommodation.
Friday, February 7, 2025
"NSFAS reminds accommodation vendors of your obligatory conditions, as supplied by the Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Arrangement among the private accommodation providers and NSFAS funded students," NSFAS reported in a press release on Thursday.
The Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement states the lease are going to be paid out month-to-month towards the accommodation provider (lessor) by NSFAS, on behalf with the lessee (NSFAS funded student), in accordance using the NSFAS terms and conditions for personal accommodation suppliers’ participation on the student accommodation portal.
"The lessor may not call for or allow the lessee to pay for a deposit, top-up payments, or almost every other sorts of payment to your lessor, or every other person in connection with this arrangement, together with payment of lease, although awaiting payment from NSFAS. read more The lessor shall have no recourse from the lessee for any default in the payment of rent by NSFAS," the agreement reads.
The NSFAS terms and check here conditions for private accommodation vendors’ participation on the student accommodation portal also states that: "Where the NSFAS-funded student is defunded because of an incorrect selection by NSFAS, the student will not be responsible for payment of any arrear rent to your accommodation company, up until eventually the website date of being defunded."
NSFAS described that the place the NSFAS-funded student chooses to continue occupying here the leased premises, notwithstanding currently being defunded by NSFAS, the student is going to be accountable for payment of lease to your lessor with the date 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 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 nsfas document submission deadline 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 dispute resolution procedure determined by NSFAS for this purpose.
From: SAnews.gov.za