Exalon Rentals in Fairlands complaint.

• 12th January 2018, we went to view a property for my mum to rent, we found on an ad in the paper for Exalon rentals, it was a one bedroom cottage. We went to the property and the one bedroom was run down and very damaged, (in fact the whole property looked like it needed work) the owners and agents told us by the 2nd week in February the property was to be renovated, a kitchen would be put in and the bathroom would be done and cupboards would be put into the one bedroom flat my mum was to move into. My mum could move in by the first of March. They had a manual entrance gate which they said would fix and give my mum a remote for access to the property. On these grounds and promises we accepted . We were then asked to put down R 1000.00 holding fee which I did. * 6th Feb right until the 25th Feb I was lead to believe via whats app from the agent that the property would be ready by the 1st March and work was being done. there were many excuses as to why we couldn't get pictures, I trusted them so it was okay at that point * 27th Feb I was informed by the agent that the property was not ready and a "temporary" 2 bed room flat on the property was available for my mum to rent until the 1 bed room was ready, the one bedroom was said to be ready after the 10th March when the owners were back from a conference. We agreed as my mum had no where else to stay. * • 2nd March, we go to the property only to find the main gate had not been sorted out and the 2-bedroom property still has someone staying in it and most of his stuff was all over the dwelling. We then get told the main gate will get done ASAP and the man in the 2 bedroom unit will be out by the morning My mum could then move in on Saturday Morning . A lease agreement was put in front of me by the agent Simone Sauer and I was told to sign, nothing was discussed or explained to me or my mum, I told the agent, I will sign but when I go home can she email me the agreement and can I let her know if I have any issues with it, she said yes she will email me it was just a standard rental agreement. I then went home and made payment of first month’s rent and deposit. (note after begging several times I only received the copy of the contract 13th March 2018 - I thereafter queried most of the agreement which to date I am waiting for answers on) * 3rd March onward I was constantly requesting feedback from the agents regarding the property and the maintenance required, We never received any solid feedback and nothing got done. * 25th March Simone advises me to hold back the rental as suggested by her manager Zadel Nel until work begins on the property as agreed. I was then advised work would begin the first week in April. * 03rd April the agent Simone contacts me to find out if work had begun on the property, when I advised her nothing was happening she promised to get back to me once again and did not. • 5th April, I followed up again, the agent said the owners were not answering but once they realize they not getting rent, they will contact the agents. • 6th April the agent sends me a message saying the owners need the rent money to pay the contractors and a deposit to pay the guy to start work on the gate. I said No, how do I know for sure once I pay them work will start (the guy staying in the I bedroom place that mum was supposed to move into, told mum he isn’t going anywhere) I offered to take the rent money and pay to fix the gate myself. The owners then sent a message to my mum saying she must come get her things and leave now. I contacted the manager of Exalon ( Zadel Nel) who said she will get back to me. My mum was then *******ly evicted with no help at all from these agents. I asked them to be there when my mum moved out and neither Simone or Zadel came. Zadel Nel promised I would get my deposit back but to keep things "clean" their side they would pay the owners 6 days of rent which I then agreed to.

to date this money has not been paid over to me, the agent Zadel has provided me with a list of damages to the property which they claim was not there before my mum moved in. This has become their reason to hold back my deposit. They claim a 55 year old diabetic woman who lived alone ripped out cupboards, damaged floors and ceilings. Zadel claims to have before and after pictures which I have requested numerous times and shes not provided me with it. The agents were not there before my mum moved in to inspect the unit (even though they charged me a unit inspection fee) and they were not there when my mum moved out.

I feel we were **** to and taken advantage of from the start, the agent at this point is no longer wanting to be involved and is proceeding to keep my deposit for damages which we did not cause

Please be careful when considering renting property from them.