The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has urged landlords not to require a deposit or top-up payment from NSFAS-funded students.
This arrives after NSFAS obtained experiences about some accommodation providers who demand NSFAS-funded students to pay a deposit or top-up payment so that you can get usage of the permitted 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 non-public accommodation suppliers and NSFAS funded students," NSFAS mentioned in a statement on Thursday.
The Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement states that the lease might be paid month to month for the accommodation supplier (lessor) by NSFAS, on behalf of the 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 demand or allow the lessee to pay a deposit, top-up payments, or any other varieties of payment to your lessor, or every other person in reference to this arrangement, like payment of hire, although awaiting payment from NSFAS. The lessor shall don't have any recourse against the lessee for any default while in the payment of rent by NSFAS," here the arrangement reads.
The NSFAS conditions and terms for private accommodation providers’ participation on the student accommodation portal also states that: "Where the NSFAS-funded student is defunded resulting from an incorrect determination by nsfas eligibility criteria NSFAS, the student won't be liable for payment of any arrear rent for the accommodation supplier, up right until the day of being defunded."
NSFAS explained that where the NSFAS-funded student click here chooses to continue occupying the leased premises, notwithstanding being defunded by NSFAS, the student are going to be answerable for payment of hire to your lessor with the date 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 nsfas university allowances 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 implementation of the agreement, must be dealt with in accordance with any dispute resolution procedure determined by NSFAS for this purpose.
From: nsfas allowances SAnews.gov.za