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 soon after NSFAS acquired experiences about some accommodation providers who require NSFAS-funded students to pay for a deposit or top-up payment in order to get access to the authorised private accommodation.

Friday, February 7, 2025
"NSFAS reminds accommodation providers on the compulsory conditions, as supplied by the Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement amongst the private accommodation suppliers and NSFAS funded students," NSFAS explained in a statement on Thursday.

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

"The lessor may not require or permit the lessee to pay for a deposit, top-up payments, or another sorts of payment on the lessor, or another person in connection with this agreement, which include payment of lease, though awaiting payment from NSFAS. The lessor shall have no recourse versus the lessee for any default inside the payment of rent by NSFAS," the agreement reads.

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

NSFAS described that exactly where the NSFAS-funded student chooses to carry on occupying the leased premises, notwithstanding remaining defunded by NSFAS, the scholar will be chargeable for payment nsfas student allowances of rent for the lessor from the more info date 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 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 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. website
From: SAnews.gov.za