Embarrassingly ***********.

To say I'm disappointed in my experience with Harcourts is more than just an understatement. In my life I have never been treated with such disregard and disconcern as what I was this past year. I moved to Port Alfred with the intent on starting a drama free, easy going chapter of my life, but instead had to struggle with incompetence, disregard and ignorance. On top of that, a burglary that saw me losing thousands worth of possessions thanks to a blind spot in the alarm beams and a security response officer that didn't have the presence of mind to check the front door area.

I viewed a unit in Port Alfred around April 2024. Upon viewing it there were multiple issues that needed to be resolved. Gate motor wasn't working. Air conditioner in main room wasn't working. Shelving in the main bedroom cupboards were damaged. One even had a literal hole in it. Marble countertop was completely loose. It was agreed upon before I moved in that these issues would be addressed and resolved before I occupied the unit. Upon moving in not a single thing had been done.

And so began the very tedious and a lengthy process of getting things looked at. Upon moving in I started noticing other small things that needed addressing. Plug outlets that were broken or not working. Loose bannisters on the stairs. Leaking toilet. Rusted and leaking tap in the laundry room. Plug switches that were loose and falling apart.

I was contractually barred from ever contacting the landlord himself, so I had to go through Harcourts Port Alfred. After months of repeatedly asking for things to be done, I decided to get it done myself. I contacted a few companies and sent the quotes to Harcourts and said they must pick one and get it done, or I'll pick one and deduct the cost from rent. I was subsequently told that I'm not allowed to contract outside companies as Harcourts uses a specific guy. I was also told that deducting anything from my rent would be a breach of contract. Ironic, isn't it? I eventually decided to contact Harcourts head office and tell them what's been going on. Then suddenly they finally got back to me. After 5 MONTHS of begging. They said that the owner agreed to fixing the toilet and the tap in the laundry room, but that the cupboard shelves and gate motor would not be fixed and that if I wanted it sorted, I would have to pay for it myself. Ridiculous to think that things that should have been fixed before I moved in were now being made to be somehow my responsibility. At this point, I was too sick & tired of struggling to get anything out of them, so I just ignored it for the time being. When the summer heat and humidity hit, I requested that they send someone to take a look at the aircon unit in the main bedroom, and was immediately told the aircon is too expensive to fix and if I wanted done, as usual it would be for my expense. Again something that should have been sorted before I moved in.

Around December, my alarm system started giving hassles. Upon inspection by the technical team, they found that the system was over a decade old and outdated. They concluded that the eyes needed to be replaced. Upon requesting from Harcourts that this be done, I was once again told that the owner isn't willing to cover that cost, and that I'd have to do it myself. I'm sure you've picked up now that "you need to pay for it yourself" is a bit of a theme with this guy. Only once I reminded them that he's legally required to perform maintenance and upkeep did he agree to it.

Then, on February 28th, jolly old South Africa did it's thing and my flat was broken into. I received a call from response saying that the alarm was triggered. Once I informed them that I was not home, they said they'd send response. I never got feedback, until I phoned them a few hours later to find out and was told everything is fine. Although, as I'm sure you've gathered, it was not. Come to find, the response officer only checked the one side of the house. He neglected to check the front door area where the intruders gained access. I was later told, they didn't have access to that section of the yard because the gate was padlocked and they only had a remote for the motor. The same motor the owner refused to fix. It was established that the eyes on the inside of the flat were not set correctly, and the alarm only triggered once the intruder was in the middle of the lounge/living room. I phoned security three times to ask if they could send somebody to reset the eyes so it would pick up if somebody came through the front door or the window next to it. I was eventually told to contact Harcourts and arrange via them. Harcourts then informed me that since the alarm "did it's job", they would not be sending anybody to change anything. Spectacular job that alarm system did only triggering once the intruder was in the middle of my lounge. So how about we add insult to injury... I was relatively surprised at the speed they sent someone to replace the glass in the window, but obviously some sort of incompetence lay around the corner. I was informed they would be replacing the steel flat bar that was ripped out of the wall, with extruded aluminum tubing about 1cm x 1cm, *****ed into the wood frame of the window. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that if flat iron bars anc****d into the concrete couldn't hold intruders out, flimsy aluminum is not going to either. But of course Harcourts just seemed to shrug their shoulders and brush it off. It was at this point that I figured even in a town as quiet as Port Alfred, my safety and security was compromised and neither Harcourts nor the owner had any concern for that fact. I gave immediate notice to vacate the property due to consistent and repetitive display of lack of concern for me as a tenant.

In a nutshell, my experience with Harcourts Port Alfred, and the owner of this place has been nothing but headaches, high blood pressure and bad sleep. It's crazy how little concern they showed for the condition of the place, and even less about the safety and dignity of me as a tenant. Having to sit with a leaking toilet for 5 months before something gets done. Being told I have to arrange and pay for repairs to things that should have been sorted before I moved in. Losing thousands in a break in, and then having such a pitiful attempt at addressing the fault in security. And then the audacity to say the alarm did its job and they won't be arranging to change anything. Honestly, the only people I have ever come across other than Harcourts that's so unbothered about doing their jobs is the ANC.

So a last tip, before you move in, insist on a detailed inspection of the property. Document it as thoroughly as possible, and get it in writing that the issues will be resolved before you move in. I didn't do it as thoroughly as I should have, but something tells me even if I did, they probably wouldn't have been bothered to do anything anyway.

As for me, I will live on the streets before I make use of Harcourts again.