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

This arrives right after NSFAS gained stories about some accommodation companies who demand NSFAS-funded students to pay for a deposit or top-up payment in order to get use of the accredited private accommodation.

Friday, February 7, 2025
"NSFAS reminds accommodation companies from the obligatory conditions, as provided by the Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Settlement amongst the private accommodation suppliers and NSFAS funded students," NSFAS mentioned in a statement on Thursday.

The Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement states the lease will likely be paid out regular towards the accommodation service provider (lessor) by NSFAS, on behalf from the lessee (NSFAS funded student), in accordance using the NSFAS conditions and terms for private accommodation vendors’ participation on the student accommodation portal.

"The lessor may not involve or permit the lessee to pay a deposit, top-up payments, or almost every other forms of payment to your lessor, or some other person in connection with this arrangement, such as payment of lease, though awaiting payment from NSFAS. The lessor shall have no recourse in opposition to the lessee for any default during the payment of rent by NSFAS," the agreement reads.

The NSFAS terms and conditions for private accommodation companies’ participation on the student accommodation portal also states that: "Where the NSFAS-funded student is defunded resulting from an incorrect determination by NSFAS, the scholar won't check here be accountable for payment of any arrear rent for the read more accommodation provider, up till the day of being defunded."

NSFAS stated that the place the NSFAS-funded student chooses to continue occupying the leased premises, notwithstanding being defunded by NSFAS, the student here is going to be accountable for payment of lease into the lessor in the date 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 nsfas 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 said.

The scheme emphasised that any dispute arising between the parties regarding the click here 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