NM
Ntebo M
1 reviews | Active since Dec 2019
25 Jun 2021, 10:44
unfairly charged and no coomunication received regarding deposit
i moved out of isabel on the 29th of May and have sent emails asking when i can expect my deposit, but to date, no response. i was charged for mold the bathroom due to "poor ventilation" but how is that my fault when there are no windows in the bathroom?? Am i responsible for how the structure of the building now? also, there were different paint marks in the tv room, that the previous tenant had left and they were also included in my exit inspection but they were there before i moved in and no one thought to repaint the tv room when i moved in so i feel completely victimized and believe that i was not treated fairly at all. charging me for mold in the bathroom as if i could have prevented it, is not right. the bathroom is in question is super dark, you need to turn the light on during the day because of how it's positioned, no wonder mold was there. and when you take showers, it heats up, the only windows you can open are in the bedroom. I think i will need to seek legal advice on this actually because it makes no sense to me. nearly weeks in, i still do not have my deposit and have no answers as to when i will get it, and looking at the previous reviews, I am not the only person they do this too.
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Replies (2)
Etchells & Young Property Brokers's replyOfficial
25 Jun 2021, 16:55Hello Ntebo,
Sorry to hear that you are not happy, we will look into this and find out why you have had no response to your queries. According to our processes and the systems that we have set up, you should have received multiple communications with full explanations and breakdowns as well as having your emails rep**** to. We sincerely apologise if this was not the case.
We will investigate, get to the bottom of it and get back to you.
In general however, the tenant is responsible to keep the premises clean and this does include treating and preventing mould build up. Ventilation is one element, but you would also need to dry down wet walls from time to time (if condensation has occurred) and/or use a mould treatment such as "Mould Buster" or "Mould Stop" available at your local Supermarket or Builders. The obligation on the tenant to keep a rental property well maintained and clean is a stipulation of the Rental Housing Act. That means it is the law in South Africa and not an internal policy that we are trying to enforce upon you.
Sorry to hear that you are not happy, we will look into this and find out why you have had no response to your queries. According to our processes and the systems that we have set up, you should have received multiple communications with full explanations and breakdowns as well as having your emails rep**** to. We sincerely apologise if this was not the case.
We will investigate, get to the bottom of it and get back to you.
In general however, the tenant is responsible to keep the premises clean and this does include treating and preventing mould build up. Ventilation is one element, but you would also need to dry down wet walls from time to time (if condensation has occurred) and/or use a mould treatment such as "Mould Buster" or "Mould Stop" available at your local Supermarket or Builders. The obligation on the tenant to keep a rental property well maintained and clean is a stipulation of the Rental Housing Act. That means it is the law in South Africa and not an internal policy that we are trying to enforce upon you.
As you have mentioned, this is not the first complaint about mould, so we have recently released a new blog (link below) in an effort to help and educate tenants in a similar situation to you and also of course, landlords too. Hopefully this can help prevent much frustration in future and also save tenants a lot of money as it would be a lot cheaper to manage and prevent mould from building up rather than repainting a property once it has gone too far.
Here is that link:
https://www.etchellsandyoung.co.za/news/tips-for-tenants/mould-and-damp-who-s-responsible-in-a-rental-agreement-15-06-21
As promised, we will investigate and get back to you.
As promised, we will investigate and get back to you.
Etchells & Young Property Brokers's reply25 Jun 2021, 16:55
Official
Hello Ntebo,
Sorry to hear that you are not happy, we will look into this and find out why you have had no response to your queries. According to our processes and the systems that we have set up, you should have received multiple communications with full explanations and breakdowns as well as having your emails rep**** to. We sincerely apologise if this was not the case.
We will investigate, get to the bottom of it and get back to you.
In general however, the tenant is responsible to keep the premises clean and this does include treating and preventing mould build up. Ventilation is one element, but you would also need to dry down wet walls from time to time (if condensation has occurred) and/or use a mould treatment such as "Mould Buster" or "Mould Stop" available at your local Supermarket or Builders. The obligation on the tenant to keep a rental property well maintained and clean is a stipulation of the Rental Housing Act. That means it is the law in South Africa and not an internal policy that we are trying to enforce upon you.
Sorry to hear that you are not happy, we will look into this and find out why you have had no response to your queries. According to our processes and the systems that we have set up, you should have received multiple communications with full explanations and breakdowns as well as having your emails rep**** to. We sincerely apologise if this was not the case.
We will investigate, get to the bottom of it and get back to you.
In general however, the tenant is responsible to keep the premises clean and this does include treating and preventing mould build up. Ventilation is one element, but you would also need to dry down wet walls from time to time (if condensation has occurred) and/or use a mould treatment such as "Mould Buster" or "Mould Stop" available at your local Supermarket or Builders. The obligation on the tenant to keep a rental property well maintained and clean is a stipulation of the Rental Housing Act. That means it is the law in South Africa and not an internal policy that we are trying to enforce upon you.
As you have mentioned, this is not the first complaint about mould, so we have recently released a new blog (link below) in an effort to help and educate tenants in a similar situation to you and also of course, landlords too. Hopefully this can help prevent much frustration in future and also save tenants a lot of money as it would be a lot cheaper to manage and prevent mould from building up rather than repainting a property once it has gone too far.
Here is that link:
https://www.etchellsandyoung.co.za/news/tips-for-tenants/mould-and-damp-who-s-responsible-in-a-rental-agreement-15-06-21
As promised, we will investigate and get back to you.
As promised, we will investigate and get back to you.
Etchells & Young Property Brokers's replyOfficial
28 Jun 2021, 16:08Hello Ntebo,
We have looked into this as promised and do not seem to find any emails from you that have not been answered. Cherylean from our Maintenance Dept confirms that she had detailed discussions with you on the phone regarding the fact that we wait for instructions from the landlord on certain repairs. We do not unilaterally make the decisions in this regard.
The landlord has now responded and provided his instruction, we will therefore proceed accordingly. It is a real pity that you did not return the property in a good and clean condition - as was evident by comparing the entry inspection to the exit inspection - if you had done this, then the landlord cannot touch your deposit and it needs to be refunded to you within 7 days. The landlord now has the right to make all reasonable repairs and do the cleaning required and the balance of your deposit (if any) has to be refunded 14 days after all the work has been completed. This is correct according to the Rental Housing Act.
You also mention above that there are no windows in the bathroom, however the photos taken during the exit inspection do clearly show a window that can be opened, you must have missed it, sorry.
We understand that this may not be a pleasant experience for you, but hope that you will learn from this and empower yourself with the knowledge that can be gained from understanding the relevant law, legislation and/or stipulations of any contract that you may sign.
Wishing you well in your new home, take care and be safe.
We have looked into this as promised and do not seem to find any emails from you that have not been answered. Cherylean from our Maintenance Dept confirms that she had detailed discussions with you on the phone regarding the fact that we wait for instructions from the landlord on certain repairs. We do not unilaterally make the decisions in this regard.
The landlord has now responded and provided his instruction, we will therefore proceed accordingly. It is a real pity that you did not return the property in a good and clean condition - as was evident by comparing the entry inspection to the exit inspection - if you had done this, then the landlord cannot touch your deposit and it needs to be refunded to you within 7 days. The landlord now has the right to make all reasonable repairs and do the cleaning required and the balance of your deposit (if any) has to be refunded 14 days after all the work has been completed. This is correct according to the Rental Housing Act.
You also mention above that there are no windows in the bathroom, however the photos taken during the exit inspection do clearly show a window that can be opened, you must have missed it, sorry.
We understand that this may not be a pleasant experience for you, but hope that you will learn from this and empower yourself with the knowledge that can be gained from understanding the relevant law, legislation and/or stipulations of any contract that you may sign.
Wishing you well in your new home, take care and be safe.
Etchells & Young Property Brokers's reply28 Jun 2021, 16:08
Official
Hello Ntebo,
We have looked into this as promised and do not seem to find any emails from you that have not been answered. Cherylean from our Maintenance Dept confirms that she had detailed discussions with you on the phone regarding the fact that we wait for instructions from the landlord on certain repairs. We do not unilaterally make the decisions in this regard.
The landlord has now responded and provided his instruction, we will therefore proceed accordingly. It is a real pity that you did not return the property in a good and clean condition - as was evident by comparing the entry inspection to the exit inspection - if you had done this, then the landlord cannot touch your deposit and it needs to be refunded to you within 7 days. The landlord now has the right to make all reasonable repairs and do the cleaning required and the balance of your deposit (if any) has to be refunded 14 days after all the work has been completed. This is correct according to the Rental Housing Act.
You also mention above that there are no windows in the bathroom, however the photos taken during the exit inspection do clearly show a window that can be opened, you must have missed it, sorry.
We understand that this may not be a pleasant experience for you, but hope that you will learn from this and empower yourself with the knowledge that can be gained from understanding the relevant law, legislation and/or stipulations of any contract that you may sign.
Wishing you well in your new home, take care and be safe.
We have looked into this as promised and do not seem to find any emails from you that have not been answered. Cherylean from our Maintenance Dept confirms that she had detailed discussions with you on the phone regarding the fact that we wait for instructions from the landlord on certain repairs. We do not unilaterally make the decisions in this regard.
The landlord has now responded and provided his instruction, we will therefore proceed accordingly. It is a real pity that you did not return the property in a good and clean condition - as was evident by comparing the entry inspection to the exit inspection - if you had done this, then the landlord cannot touch your deposit and it needs to be refunded to you within 7 days. The landlord now has the right to make all reasonable repairs and do the cleaning required and the balance of your deposit (if any) has to be refunded 14 days after all the work has been completed. This is correct according to the Rental Housing Act.
You also mention above that there are no windows in the bathroom, however the photos taken during the exit inspection do clearly show a window that can be opened, you must have missed it, sorry.
We understand that this may not be a pleasant experience for you, but hope that you will learn from this and empower yourself with the knowledge that can be gained from understanding the relevant law, legislation and/or stipulations of any contract that you may sign.
Wishing you well in your new home, take care and be safe.