Remax Advantage

Unfair Eviction and Unprofessional Conduct by Rental Agent

I am writing this to raise a complaint about the extremely disappointing and stressful experience we have had with a rental agent, Lydia. My partner and I moved into a property on the 1st of March, paying a total of R6500 which included rent, deposit, and admin/agent fees. Shortly after moving in, we experienced an unfortunate incident where my partner accidentally hit the lower panel of the garage door, causing damage. This happened on a Friday evening, and we immediately reported it to the agent. The following day, the agent informed the landlord, and we were then told to vacate the property with immediate effect. There was no proper notice given, no opportunity to resolve the issue, and no fair process followed. This left us stranded without accommodation, despite having already paid rent. Prior to this, there had been a concern raised about a minor oil leak from my partner’s car. We had taken steps to address the issue and used a protective covering as an extra precaution. However, this was later used against us, with the assumption that we had not resolved the issue, which is not true. What is particularly concerning is the inconsistency in how this matter has been handled. We are aware of other tenants who reportedly had similar issues but were not treated in the same way or forced to vacate immediately. Instead, they were allowed to resolve matters more reasonably. We were later informed that the cost to repair the garage door is R8000, and that a portion of our deposit and rent would be used toward this, with us expected to pay the remaining balance. However, we have not yet received any official invoices or breakdown of these costs. Additionally, we paid rent for a full month but did not occupy the property for that entire period. The manner in which the agent has communicated with us has also been very concerning. The tone has been personal and accusatory, including statements blaming us for damaging her relationship with the landlord, which is both unprofessional and inappropriate. We are not refusing to take responsibility for the damage caused, but we do believe that this entire situation has been handled unfairly, without proper procedure, and in a way that has caused us significant financial and emotional distress.