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 for a deposit or top-up payment in an effort to get use of the authorised private accommodation.

Friday, February 7, 2025
"NSFAS reminds accommodation vendors of the obligatory conditions, as furnished by the Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Settlement involving the personal accommodation vendors and NSFAS funded students," NSFAS mentioned in an announcement on Thursday.

The Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement states that the lease might be paid regular monthly for 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 companies’ participation on the student accommodation portal.

"The lessor may not require or allow the lessee to pay for a deposit, top-up payments, or every other varieties of payment on the lessor, or some other person in reference to this agreement, together with payment of rent, though awaiting payment from NSFAS. The lessor shall have no recourse from the lessee for any default within the payment of rent by NSFAS," the arrangement nsfas login reads.

The NSFAS conditions and terms for private accommodation providers’ participation on the student accommodation portal also states that: "Where the NSFAS-funded nsfas allowances student is defunded on account of an incorrect determination by NSFAS, the student will not be responsible for payment of any arrear rent into the accommodation provider, up right up until the day of being defunded."

NSFAS stated that exactly where the NSFAS-funded student chooses to continue occupying the leased premises, notwithstanding getting defunded by NSFAS, the student will be accountable for payment of read more rent for 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 of all rent due to the accommodation provider.

"Where the student moves, accommodation providers here 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 nsfas university allowances 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