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 soon after NSFAS gained stories about some accommodation vendors who demand NSFAS-funded students to pay for a deposit or top-up payment so as to get access to the approved private accommodation.

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

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

"The lessor may not involve or allow the lessee to pay for a deposit, top-up payments, or another varieties of payment to the lessor, or any other person in reference to this arrangement, together with payment of hire, whilst awaiting payment from NSFAS. The lessor here shall haven't any recourse from the lessee for any default while in the payment of rent by NSFAS," the agreement reads.

The NSFAS conditions and terms for private accommodation providers’ participation on the student accommodation portal also states that: "Where the NSFAS-funded student is defunded as a nsfas eligibility criteria result of an incorrect choice by NSFAS, the student will not be accountable for payment of any arrear rent on the accommodation service provider, up until finally the day of being defunded."

NSFAS discussed that the place the NSFAS-funded student chooses to continue occupying the leased premises, here notwithstanding remaining defunded by NSFAS, the student is going to be answerable for payment of lease towards the lessor from your date of currently being 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 nsfas eligibility criteria for payment of all rent due to the accommodation provider.

"Where the student moves, accommodation providers without the prior approval of NSFAS, here 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