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 following NSFAS gained stories about some accommodation suppliers who need NSFAS-funded students to pay for a deposit or top-up payment as a way to get access to the accepted private accommodation.

Friday, February 7, 2025
"NSFAS reminds accommodation companies on the obligatory conditions, as supplied by the Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Arrangement involving the non-public accommodation suppliers and NSFAS funded students," NSFAS mentioned in an announcement on Thursday.

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

"The lessor may not call for or permit the lessee to pay for a deposit, top-up payments, or some other forms of payment to your lessor, or every other person in reference to this agreement, together with payment of lease, while awaiting payment from NSFAS. The lessor shall don't check here have any recourse against the lessee for any default from the payment of rent by NSFAS," the agreement reads.

The NSFAS terms read more and conditions for private accommodation vendors’ participation on the student accommodation portal also states that: "Where the NSFAS-funded student is defunded as a result of an incorrect determination by NSFAS, the scholar will not be responsible for payment of any arrear rent to your accommodation provider, up right up until the day of being defunded."

NSFAS defined more info that in which the NSFAS-funded student chooses to carry on occupying the leased premises, notwithstanding staying defunded by NSFAS, the scholar are going to be liable for payment of rent towards more info the lessor from your 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 get more info 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 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