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

This comes after NSFAS acquired stories about some accommodation suppliers who demand NSFAS-funded students to pay a deposit or top-up payment so that you can get usage of the approved private accommodation.

Friday, February 7, 2025
"NSFAS reminds accommodation vendors of your obligatory conditions, as furnished by the Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Arrangement amongst the private accommodation vendors and NSFAS funded students," NSFAS explained in an announcement on Thursday.

The Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement states that the rent will probably be paid out every month to your accommodation company (lessor) by NSFAS, on behalf in the lessee (NSFAS funded student), in accordance with the NSFAS terms and conditions for personal accommodation companies’ participation on the student accommodation portal.

"The lessor may not require or permit the lessee to pay a deposit, top-up payments, or almost every other forms of payment into the lessor, or some other person in reference to this agreement, together with payment of rent, while awaiting payment from NSFAS. The lessor shall have no recourse in opposition to the lessee website for any default during the payment of rent by NSFAS," the arrangement reads.

The NSFAS conditions and terms for private accommodation vendors’ participation on the student accommodation portal also states that: "Where the NSFAS-funded student is defunded on account of an incorrect determination by NSFAS, the scholar won't be responsible for payment of any arrear rent to the accommodation provider, up until finally the date of being defunded."

NSFAS defined that exactly where the NSFAS-funded student chooses to carry on occupying the leased premises, notwithstanding staying defunded by NSFAS, the student will be answerable for payment of lease towards the lessor within the date of 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 nsfas status check all rent due to the accommodation provider.

"Where the student moves, accommodation providers without the prior approval of read more 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, more info must be dealt with in accordance with any check here dispute resolution procedure determined by NSFAS for this purpose.
From: SAnews.gov.za