US
Ursula S

1 reviews | Active since Aug 2021

29 Jan 2025, 16:36

Very traumatised from dealing with them!

Very terrible experience with ****son rentals!! Don’t even know where to start! We were paying for other tenants electricity for 7 months that was running off main electricity box in the main house that was not even in our lease agreement. The owner came into the property, a cable tie was cut to get access without any communication that anyone will come through and to this day I’m still waiting for ****son rentals to respond to my complaint. We moved in and the property was still a building site, they wanted to charge us for all the existing marks and very minor “fair wear and tear”. The principal Screaming at my partner and myself, very rude people then to her blocking us. They first wanted to charge us R27000 for repainting the entire house. We complained and it went down to 20 000. Withheld the rest of our deposit and had to take them to the tribunal.

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Replies (3)
Dickson Rentals
Dickson Rentals's reply06 May 2025, 14:50
Official
Dear Ursula,

We are sorry to hear that you felt traumatized by your experience. However, we must respectfully clarify several key points and address inaccuracies in your review:

Key Handover:
You did not vacate the premises on the agreed date and time as outlined in your lease, despite this being thoroughly discussed and confirmed with you in advance.

Ingoing and Outgoing Inspection:
You participated in a joint inspection before handing over the keys, during which the condition of the property was reviewed together. You acknowledged the inspection findings, which were consistent with the documented move-in condition.

Accountability for Repairs:
In line with our policies and the Rental Housing Act, tenants are only held responsible for damages they cause. Inspection photos were provided to you during an in-person meeting and sent via email as evidence. You were not held accountable for any pre-existing issues.

Opportunity to Address Issues:
You were sent the full outgoing inspection report on 8 September 2024, which included the option to either attend to the repairs yourself or have ****son facilitate them. You confirmed during your visit on 17 September 2024 that you would complete specific cleaning and painting tasks. However, by the 20th, the necessary work remained incomplete, despite your prior confirmation that all items had been addressed.

Condition of the Property:
As per Clause 8.1 of your lease agreement, the property must be returned in the same condition as when it was received. Damages falling outside the definition of “fair wear and tear” — such as panel damage caused by appliances — remain the tenant’s responsibility.

Deposit & Repair Costs:
Clause 10.8 of the lease stipulates that the deposit will be refunded within 21 working days of vacating the premises, provided all repairs and cleaning are completed. As this was not the case, ****son arranged the remaining work, with deductions based on verified repair quotes that were reviewed and adjusted following discussion.

Electricity Charges:
The arrangement regarding shared electricity usage was clearly communicated during your tenancy. Where necessary, appropriate adjustments and refunds were made.

We are committed to transparency and fairness in all our dealings, in accordance with lease terms and relevant rental legislation.

Sincerely,
****son Rentals
US
Ursula S's update06 May 2025, 15:52
Reviewer Update
Good day!

I did not once dispute the day we vacated the premises, I acknowledge that’s why there was an amount that was taken off the deposit. We could only move out on the 1st and not the day before.

I did not acknowledge the inspection findings!!

I understand accountability for repairs, which I did agree to, to some degree, but repainting an entire house is not for the tenants account as to why the housing tribunal instructed you to refund us some of the deposit that you kept for your very unreasonable quote.
Yes the work that was not done I did not agree to.

Nothing on our lease stated that we had to pay for 3 other tenants electricity, which was refunded I know however, I didn’t state that in our lease.

I’m still waiting for feedback regarding the cable tie that was cut to get access to the property to “put poison on the ****s” or are we just sweeping that under the carpet?? We all know as per the rental legislation states that, the owner or property agent need to communicate and agree on a time when inspection or work that needs to happen. Nothing happened and ****son didn’t respond to my query regarding this matter.

We can put this all behind us now. Have a nice day.

Dickson Rentals
Dickson Rentals's reply08 May 2025, 14:34
Official
 Dear Ursula,
 Thank you for your message. 

Regarding the unscheduled visit by the owner, we understand your concern. Please note that, unless prior arrangements are made through our office, we are unfortunately not in a position to prevent such visits. As the managing agent, we always encourage both landlords and tenants to coordinate access and communication through us to ensure proper protocol is followed. 

We would also like to clarify that, as per the lease agreement, the tenancy officially terminates at 12:00 PM on the final day of the month. Where possible, we are happy to accommodate requests for earlier or later move-out times, and we strive to be as flexible as circumstances allow. 

With respect to your query regarding the utilities refund and its absence from the lease, we acknowledge your point, although you've been fully refunded. At the same time, we must also note that the lease is a mutual agreement between both parties, and there were multiple occasions during the tenancy when rent payments were made after the due date, which constitutes a breach of the lease terms. 

We appreciate your understanding and are available should you have any further questions or require clarification. 

Best Regards, 
****son Rentals