Unresolved Overcharge, Poor Workmanship, and Complete Lack of Response

I’m not someone who normally writes reviews, but this experience has forced me to.

I engaged CalBus Properties CC in late 2025 to manage my rental property in Kempton Park. What followed was months of delays, poor communication, substandard workmanship, and ultimately the retention of money that was not owed to them — which they have acknowledged in writing and still not refunded.

The issues started early. Loose floor tiles were identified in November 2025 while I was still living in the unit. I asked for this to be sorted well in advance of a tenant moving in. CalBus inspected the property and undertook to provide a quote. Despite repeated follow-ups over roughly three months, nothing materialised until two working days before the tenant was due to move in.

The initial quote came through at R15,096.16 and included items like repainting the entire unit and a full clean — despite the fact that I had just completed painting myself before moving out. I rejected this and asked for a quote limited to the tile repairs. A revised quote of R2,973.77 was only provided the day before move-in. With a tenant arriving the next day and loose tiles throughout the property, I had no real option but to proceed and pay.

The work that followed was not what was agreed. Only some of the tiles were properly lifted and re-laid. Large sections of clearly loose tiles were left as-is, with grout app**** over the top rather than fixing the underlying issue. Within days of the tenant moving in, tiles began tenting, cracking, and sounding hollow underfoot. Some of the tiles that had been “repaired” also failed shortly after. I have since had to appoint my own contractor to rectify the work at additional cost.

On the financial side, CalBus charged a placement commission of 8% when our signed agreement reflected 7%. When I raised this, they acknowledged the overcharge in writing on 12 March 2026. As of today, 42 days later, the amount of R2,001.00 has still not been refunded, despite multiple follow-ups.

In addition, no incoming inspection was conducted when the tenant moved in on 1 March 2026 — something that is required under standard rental practice and forms part of the basic responsibilities of a managing agent. This creates unnecessary risk for me as the property owner at the end of the lease.

Throughout all of this, the most consistent issue has been the lack of communication. Emails, WhatsApps, and calls have gone unanswered. A formal notice was sent giving an opportunity to resolve the issues within a reasonable timeframe. There was no response. Not once has anyone contacted me to take ownership of the situation or propose a resolution.

I have now had to escalate the matter through formal channels. A complaint has been lodged with the Property Practitioners Regulatory Authority (PPRA), and I am proceeding with a Small Claims Court application to recover the outstanding amounts. I am also considering further steps based on the continued retention of funds that have been acknowledged as owing.

The most frustrating part of this entire experience is not just the financial aspect, but the time, effort, and stress required to deal with issues that should have been handled correctly from the start. It should not require this level of follow-up to receive what is contractually and fairly due.

If you are considering CalBus Properties CC as a managing agent, I would strongly suggest taking the time to evaluate other options.