Good Apartment, Poor Handling of Tenant Concerns

I have mixed feelings about my experience living at The Encore Apartments in Bryanston.

On the positive side, when unforeseen circumstances affected my planned move-out date, management accommodated my request to extend my stay by an additional month. I appreciated the flexibility shown during what was a stressful period, and I believe it's important to acknowledge that.

However, there were also some significant issues that left me disappointed. On 26 March 2026, I woke up to find my apartment flooded. I later learned that the flooding had reportedly started around 2:00 AM, but I only discovered it at around 9:30 AM when I woke up. By that point, water had been sitting in the apartment for several hours.

The flooding caused damage to some of my belongings. My work laptop charger was submerged in water while plugged in, and the laptop subsequently developed issues that required repairs. A bookshelf was also damaged after standing in water for an extended period.

I immediately contacted management via WhatsApp to find out what the process was regarding the damage to my belongings. I was instructed to submit an email detailing the incident and damages, which I did. Unfortunately, I never received any response, acknowledgement, follow-up, or assistance regarding the matter. The lack of communication and accountability was extremely frustrating.

I also moved out on 31 May 2026 and attended the exit inspection on the same day. The inspection report confirmed that the apartment was returned in good condition and that there were no damages requiring deductions from my deposit. Management requested my banking details on 2 June 2026, which I provided immediately. Despite this, I am still waiting for my deposit refund. Given that the exit inspection was completed and no deductions were communicated, I expected the refund process to be handled more efficiently. As it should be 7 business days according to Section 5(3)(g) of the Rental Housing Act 50 of 1999, which requires that where no amounts are due to the landlord for repairs or other lawful deductions, the deposit together with any accrued interest must be refunded to the tenant within 7 days of the expiration of the lease.

Overall, while I appreciate the flexibility shown when I needed to extend my lease, my experience was overshadowed by the handling of the flooding incident and the ongoing delay in receiving my deposit refund. Better communication and follow-through on tenant concerns would go a long way toward improving the overall tenant experience.