The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has urged landlords not to demand a deposit or top-up payment from NSFAS-funded students.
This comes soon after NSFAS acquired experiences about some accommodation companies who need NSFAS-funded students to pay for a deposit or top-up payment to be able to get entry to the permitted private accommodation.
Friday, February 7, 2025
"NSFAS reminds accommodation suppliers with the obligatory conditions, as supplied by the Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement amongst the non-public accommodation companies and NSFAS funded students," NSFAS stated in a statement on Thursday.
The Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement states which the lease might be paid every month to your accommodation supplier (lessor) by NSFAS, on behalf of the lessee (NSFAS funded student), in accordance using the NSFAS conditions and terms for private accommodation suppliers’ participation on the student accommodation portal.
"The lessor may not call for or permit the lessee to pay for a deposit, top-up payments, or every other varieties of payment to your lessor, or every other person in reference to this agreement, which include payment of rent, when awaiting payment from NSFAS. The lessor shall have no recourse from the lessee for any default inside the payment of rent by nsfas login NSFAS," read more the arrangement reads.
The NSFAS terms and conditions for private accommodation suppliers’ participation on nsfas student document submission deadline the student accommodation portal also states that: "Where the NSFAS-funded student is defunded because of an incorrect decision by NSFAS, the coed won't be accountable for payment of any arrear rent on the accommodation service provider, up until eventually the day of being defunded."
NSFAS defined that wherever the NSFAS-funded student chooses to carry on occupying the leased premises, notwithstanding being defunded by NSFAS, the student is going to be responsible for payment of rent on the lessor within the nsfas allowances date of becoming 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, click here 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