CSi Rentals rented me property with numerous faults

I rented property and the property had numerous faults. The agent did not do an inspection with me, but said he will fix the house. It was close to the Christmas holidays, so in the spirit of festive season, I signed the contract. However, I highlighted the items that were faulty on the list of Annexures.

Subsequently, there were other items I identified and communicated these to the agent. The agent works in partnership with his son. His son fixed the roof, the door handle that was coming off, the garage door that was not working (from inside the house to the garage) and many other items that were broken.

However, the actual garage door is nonfunctional and would not open. For the past month and a half, I pack my car in the carport. And that is a contravention of my insurance contract which stated that I live in a house with a lockable garage. The geyser has not been working since I moved to the house in December 15 (first day of contract) to date (28 January 2020); I use cold water to bath or boil it in pots on the stove for my daughter in the mornings. The electricity bill is very high, especially now that it is back-to-school. Once they came to fix the geyser but it only worked for two days.

I was not orientated on the alarm system that comes with the house, nor was I given any details pertaining to how the electricity works. Through engaging with the neighbors, I figured out the electricity thing but I still do not have access to the alarm system, whose service provider is not clearly marked on the device for me to be able to trace who can assist.

Today I sent CSi Rental Head Office an email detailing my troubles with their agent. Two minutes after I sent the email, the lady who attended to me accused me of tempering with the electrical appliances which she said was the reason the geyser timer might not be working (the problem was not even the geyser timer. In fact, there was no geyser timer when I got here). resulted in the geyser timer not working and told me I will be liable for payment of that (the house did not even have a timer. The timer was installed subsequently and I was never told how it works, I did not even know they have subsequently installed it and during that period, the water has always been cold); she said that they were not responsible for the alarm system I must sort it out on my own (but why advertise for a house with an alarm system then withhold details about who the service provider is and how it works); she sent me the electricity details without explaining why I never received them before; and told me that I should have sent them written communication for all the items that are wrong. And I have been telling the agent for one and a half month and he never mentioned that these things needs to be reported via written format and he had been fixing things in bits and pieces.

I had highlighted the items that were broken/faulty in the contract annexures. So from the onset these had been reported via written communication.

She also said that not everything broken is the responsibility of the home owner. She lost me there because I fail to see how I can be liable for the roof I found already leaking, the broken windows and cupboards, etc. I found the house with these issues.

So now I am saying I cannot continue paying to live in a house that does not meet the contractual terms and conditions. I stated that I will only pay once the garage, the geyser and the other inconveniences are sorted. The worst part about this is that they will withhold my deposit to fix things I found broken. That just cannot be!

The underlying asset to the contract is what gives them the right to my money. And they have failed to give me the asset in the manner and condition of our contract. Why am I paying the full amount living in a house that has no hot water, no garage, windows that leaks in rain water, cupboards that are falling apart? Surely that is not what I contracted for. A house like that is not worth the rental fee of R11 000.

I find it disturbing that the lady who responded did not call me and find out exactly what happened before she jumped into the conclusion that I tempered with the electricity appliances; that everything is my fault. And it left my wondering kutsi if we were of the same race, would I have been treated in the same manner?

I wish someone can really put themselves in my shoes and see the strenuous exercise of having to boil water. Seriously! in this day and age? Can someone see the unfairness of having an alarm system that you can't use but is inclusive in the price I am paying.

This is painfu! It is expensive (the electricity bill is high). It is time consuming and extremely unfair. Not to mentioning the demeaning manner in which I constantly had to follow up on the agent who makes promises but he has no intention of keeping.

The lady who responded made it clear that CSi Rentals must be paid by 01 Feb, but she made no commitment to fix all the things wrong with the house. That speaks volumes. It says, who cares about your inconveniences, pay our money. It says we have no obligation towards ensuring we rent out houses that are in a good habitable state, we only have to be paid.

I have no qualms paying rent. But can the underlying property I am paying for meet the terms and conditions of contract.