The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has urged landlords to not require a deposit or top-up payment from NSFAS-funded students.
This comes right after NSFAS been given stories about some accommodation companies who demand NSFAS-funded students to pay a deposit or top-up payment so as to get entry to the permitted private accommodation.
Friday, February 7, 2025
"NSFAS reminds accommodation providers in the compulsory conditions, as supplied by the Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Settlement between the private accommodation providers and NSFAS funded students," NSFAS explained in a press release on Thursday.
The Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement states which the lease will likely be paid out monthly on the accommodation company (lessor) by NSFAS, on behalf of your lessee (NSFAS funded student), in accordance using the NSFAS terms and conditions for personal accommodation vendors’ participation on the student accommodation portal.
"The lessor may not need or allow the lessee to pay a deposit, top-up payments, or almost every other sorts of payment into the lessor, or another person in reference to this arrangement, such as payment of hire, even though awaiting payment from NSFAS. The lessor shall have no recourse towards the lessee for any default within the payment of rent by NSFAS," the arrangement reads.
The NSFAS conditions and terms for private accommodation companies’ website participation on the student accommodation portal also states that: "Where the NSFAS-funded student is defunded as a result of an incorrect decision by NSFAS, the scholar won't be accountable for payment of any arrear rent towards the accommodation provider, up till the day of being defunded."
NSFAS defined that in which the NSFAS-funded student chooses to carry on occupying the leased premises, click here notwithstanding staying defunded by NSFAS, the student will be liable for payment of hire into the lessor through the day 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 nsfas login 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 nsfas university allowances 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