The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has urged landlords not to require a deposit or top-up payment from NSFAS-funded students.

This comes 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 access to the accepted private accommodation.

Friday, February 7, 2025
"NSFAS reminds accommodation vendors in the compulsory conditions, as furnished by the Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement among the personal accommodation suppliers and NSFAS funded students," NSFAS explained in an announcement on Thursday.

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

"The lessor may not require or allow the lessee to pay a deposit, top-up payments, or another varieties of payment on the lessor, or some other person in reference to this arrangement, such as payment of hire, although awaiting payment from NSFAS. The lessor shall don't have any recourse against the lessee for any default from the payment of rent here by NSFAS," the arrangement reads.

The NSFAS more info conditions and terms for private accommodation companies’ participation on the student accommodation portal also states that: "Where the NSFAS-funded student is defunded as a consequence of an incorrect decision by NSFAS, the coed won't be answerable for payment of any arrear rent for the accommodation supplier, up till the date of being defunded."

NSFAS explained that exactly where the NSFAS-funded student nsfas status check chooses to carry on occupying the leased premises, notwithstanding click here being defunded by NSFAS, the scholar are going to be accountable for payment of lease into the lessor in the date of remaining 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 nsfas document submission deadline 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