Rental ****mer

I paid deposit for a rental place in January 2024. The deposit was a holding deposit as I could not move in yet because the place looked like a wreck. We arranged with Loutjie to fix the place up and we will move in end of February. He accepted the arrangement.

Today, 2 February, he sent me a message asking me if we are still interessted in the place or must he readvertise the place. I then told him that we already paid the deposit and he confirmed that he received the payment. He then told me that the payment we made was not a deposit, but a rent payment for January. He also told me that I now must pay rent for February and the deposit. I told him that I cannot pay him rent fir a place I am not staying inand I do not even have the keys for the place. He then started ignoring my messages so I phoned Housing Tribunial. They gave me some answers and tgey told me to inform Loutjie of his options. He still ignored my messages and phone calls for a while and then he told me that his lawyer will handle the case further and then he blocked me on Whatsapp. He is now refusing to give me back my deposit.