De Huys Properties

R85,000 deposit withheld 10+ months — PPRA complaint active — CIPC deregistration on record

I am posting this as a factual consumer alert for prospective tenants and landlords. I entered into a lease agreement for a Western Cape property managed by De Huys Properties from November 2023 to March 2025. The lease ended lawfully. The landlord confirmed in writing that he had no damages claim and issued written authority for the full release of my deposit. Publicly documented facts: CIPC public records reflect that De Huys Properties carries an "AR Final Deregistration" status. Under the Property Practitioners Act No. 22 of 2019 (the PPA), a company's Fidelity Fund Certificate (FFC) lapses automatically upon deregistration. A deregistered company is also prohibited from continuing to trade under the Companies Act 71 of 2008. A rental deposit of R85,000 remains unreturned as of the date of this review — more than 10 months after it was legally due under Section 5(3)(f) of the Rental Housing Act 50 of 1999. No interest statement has been provided. No VAT-compliant rental invoices were issued for the full 17-month tenancy, despite multiple written demands. Formal legal letters from my attorneys, Jurgens Bekker Attorneys Inc., received no substantive response. A formal complaint is active with the PPRA under reference K***I. Under Section 48(4) of the PPA: if a property practitioner operated without a valid FFC at any time, all commission must be refunded upon written demand. Before engaging De Huys Properties for any property matter, I urge you to verify their CIPC registration status at www.cipc.co.za and their PPRA registration status at www.theppra.org.za/practitioner-search.