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 right after NSFAS acquired reports about some accommodation companies who need NSFAS-funded students to pay a deposit or top-up payment in order to get access to the accepted private accommodation.
Friday, February 7, 2025
"NSFAS reminds accommodation providers of the obligatory conditions, as furnished by the Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Arrangement involving the personal accommodation companies and NSFAS funded students," NSFAS said in an announcement on Thursday.
The Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement states the lease will be paid out every month on the accommodation supplier (lessor) by NSFAS, on behalf of your lessee (NSFAS funded student), in accordance with the NSFAS conditions and terms for private accommodation providers’ participation on the student accommodation portal.
"The lessor may not involve or permit the lessee to pay for a deposit, top-up payments, or any other kinds of payment into the lessor, or some other person in reference to this agreement, check here together with payment of rent, when awaiting payment from NSFAS. The lessor shall haven't any recourse versus the lessee for any default inside the click here payment of rent by NSFAS," 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 decision by NSFAS, the student won't be liable for payment of any arrear rent for the accommodation company, up until the date of being defunded."
NSFAS defined that in which the NSFAS-funded student chooses to continue occupying the leased premises, notwithstanding getting defunded by NSFAS, the student are going to be accountable for payment of hire for the lessor within the date of currently being defunded.
"Where the student is defunded nsfas status check 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 here 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 website purpose.
From: SAnews.gov.za