The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has urged landlords to not demand a deposit or top-up payment from NSFAS-funded students.

This comes immediately after NSFAS acquired experiences about some accommodation vendors who demand NSFAS-funded students to pay a deposit or top-up payment in order to get access to the authorized private accommodation.

Friday, February 7, 2025
"NSFAS reminds accommodation suppliers on the compulsory conditions, as supplied by the Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement between the private accommodation companies and NSFAS funded students," NSFAS reported in an announcement on Thursday.

The Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement states the rent is going to be paid regular for the accommodation service provider (lessor) by NSFAS, on behalf with the lessee (NSFAS funded student), in accordance with the NSFAS terms and conditions for personal accommodation providers’ 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 every other varieties of payment on the lessor, or any other person in reference to this arrangement, such as payment of lease, when awaiting payment from NSFAS. The lessor shall have no recourse against the lessee for any default inside the payment of rent by NSFAS," the arrangement reads.

The NSFAS conditions and terms for private accommodation suppliers’ participation on the student accommodation portal also states that: "Where the NSFAS-funded student website is defunded due to an incorrect decision by NSFAS, the scholar won't be answerable for payment of any arrear rent to the accommodation service provider, up until the day of being defunded."

NSFAS spelled out that wherever the NSFAS-funded student chooses to continue occupying the leased premises, notwithstanding getting defunded by NSFAS, the student are going to be answerable for payment of lease towards the lessor within the day of check here 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 get more info 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 the student own account," website 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 more info determined by NSFAS for this purpose.
From: SAnews.gov.za