The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has urged landlords not to demand a deposit or top-up payment from NSFAS-funded students.
This arrives following NSFAS obtained experiences about some accommodation providers who need NSFAS-funded students to pay for a deposit or top-up payment as a way to get use of the authorized private accommodation.
Friday, February 7, 2025
"NSFAS reminds accommodation providers in the compulsory conditions, as furnished by the Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Arrangement among the non-public accommodation providers and NSFAS funded students," NSFAS explained in a statement on Thursday.
The Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement states that the rent is going to be paid out regular on the accommodation company (lessor) by NSFAS, on behalf on the lessee (NSFAS funded student), in accordance with the NSFAS terms and conditions for personal accommodation suppliers’ participation on the student accommodation portal.
"The lessor may not have to have or permit the lessee to pay for a deposit, top-up payments, or almost every other varieties of payment on the lessor, or every other person in connection with this arrangement, like payment nsfas allowances of hire, when awaiting payment from NSFAS. The lessor shall have no recourse from the lessee for any default while in the payment of rent by NSFAS," the agreement reads.
The NSFAS terms and conditions for private accommodation vendors’ participation on the student accommodation portal also states that: "Where the NSFAS-funded student is defunded due to an incorrect determination by NSFAS, the student will not be chargeable for payment of any arrear rent into the accommodation company, up until eventually the day of being defunded."
NSFAS spelled out that in which the NSFAS-funded student here chooses to continue occupying the leased premises, notwithstanding remaining defunded by NSFAS, the scholar will be liable for payment of lease for the lessor through 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 here rent due to the accommodation provider.
"Where the website student moves, accommodation providers without the prior here 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: SAnews.gov.za