Ithemba routinely flouts the Rental Housing Act - even once you've left

I vacated my unit on 28 August 2026. Despite a joint outgoing inspection revealing zero damages (only one minor scuff mark, which constitutes fair wear and tear), Ithemba Property has completely ignored all my follow-up correspondence. I have received no payout, no statement of account, and zero communication. I sent photographs of the state of the entire apartment when I left it on the 28th. I had to insist the building manager come to inspect, as he just told me to hand the keys in at security. He looked REALLY hard to find anything wrong, and found one tiny scuff mark, which he said meant the entire flat needed to be repainted. I said no, that is not the law, that is fair wear and tear. He told me to take it up with head office, so I sent them photographs and a comprehensive email including references to both established rental law and the Rental Housing Act but received zero response. When I followed up, they said it has been "escalated to the relevant department", but still there has been no communication and no statement.

Prospective tenants need to know that Ithemba routinely flouts the law. Their internal "30-day refund timeline" is a direct breach of the Rental Housing Act (RHA). Under Section 5(3) of the Act, they were legally required to refund my deposit within 7 days of the lease ending because no damages were found. It is now well past both 7 days and 14 days.

Furthermore, Ithemba failed to conduct an ingoing inspection when I moved in, meaning they have absolutely no legal right to claim or deduct for damages anyway.

This company deliberately packs its lease agreements with legally invalid clauses and routinely cuts off electricity and building access to tenants if rent is late— as is clearly evident from the reviews and the experience of multiple people in the building.

Corporate policy does not override national law. Signing a lease with ******* clauses does not make those clauses legal. They are null and void.

I am logging a formal dispute with the Rental Housing Tribunal (RHT) for unfair rental practices and failure to refund my deposit.