The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has urged landlords never to demand a deposit or top-up payment from NSFAS-funded students.

This arrives immediately after NSFAS gained 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 permitted private accommodation.

Friday, February 7, 2025
"NSFAS reminds accommodation suppliers of your obligatory conditions, as provided by the Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Arrangement concerning the private accommodation providers and NSFAS funded students," NSFAS stated in a press release on Thursday.

The Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement states that the rent will be paid regular monthly to your accommodation provider (lessor) by NSFAS, on behalf of your lessee (NSFAS funded student), in accordance using the NSFAS conditions and terms for personal accommodation companies’ participation on the student accommodation portal.

"The lessor may not have to have or allow the lessee to pay for a deposit, top-up payments, or almost every other types of payment to your lessor, or some other person in connection with this arrangement, including payment of lease, even though awaiting payment from NSFAS. The lessor shall don't have any recourse in opposition to the lessee for any default inside the payment of rent by NSFAS," the agreement reads.

The NSFAS terms and conditions for private accommodation companies’ participation on the student accommodation portal read more also states that: "Where the NSFAS-funded student is defunded as get more info a consequence of an incorrect decision by NSFAS, the coed will not be answerable for payment of any arrear rent for the accommodation provider, up right up until the day of being defunded."

NSFAS discussed that in which the NSFAS-funded student chooses to carry on occupying the leased premises, notwithstanding getting defunded by NSFAS, the scholar more info is going to be answerable for payment of lease into the lessor in the day of staying 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 nsfas status check 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 the student own account," the scheme click here 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