Asked by the Customer on 09-02-2015 09:12:37
Question posted in the Landlord Tenant Law category relating to Gauteng

Before I ask I just want to know how much you will charge me for advice on Tenant/Landlord Law? I cant afford more than R150 at this stage, so if my question cannot be answered by you for this amount, I will understand. So here goes, I am renting a flat under my brother's name. We were situated on the 4th floor and asked to be transferred to the ground due to my husband's poor health and the constant outage of the lift. I signed an inspection form although the care taker did not do the inspection with me, it was at carried out at 19h00 and the curtains were drawn. The flat was not painted out and cleaned when we moved in. The caretaker wrote on the inspection form that the place was painted pearlglo. I assumed and she told me that she is just stating that the flat was painted that particular brand and colour. When I moved to the ground floor, she was supposed to do an outspection with me. I had been asking her for over a week to get it done and she had not. She eventually made an appointment with me for 11h00 on the 5th. I had to cancelled it at 08h00 on the 5th asking her to move it to 16h30 - 17h00 as I was called in to start a new job and would be available at that time. She said it was too late for her and I asked her when will it be convenient for her bearing in mind the times I started work and when I would be off. She didn't answer me and asked her to get back to me. She did inspect the flat prior to my moving out and said that I just needed to wash down the walls and everythig would be in order, which I did. She did the outspection without me and informed me that the place would have to be painted out and some tiles replaced and 2 window fittings replaced. The window fittings were not there when I moved in. I did bring it to her attention 3x when I was living in that flat, but nothing was done. I signed a blank outspection form. She admitted this to the estate agent. The caretaker also informed that the place was last painted out 3-4 years ago. Granted the tiles that had to be replaced were for my account, only 2 boxes worth with the glue and at least 1 hour labour. The estate agent said that I am liable for the whole amount of R5600(which is my deposit) because I signed the outspection form. My whole deposit went into getting the place painted out, window fittings and the tiles replaced. Now the same problem persisited to the ground floor. I signed a blank inspection form and no faults were written on the form. I made a list and took pictures and sent it to the estate agent. They expect me to pay the deposit for the ground floor flat and I refused stating that I want proof that the flat on the 4th was painted out before we moved in, they informed me that they have no proof of this. I stated that I was prepared to pay half as I am not liable for the paint work. They refused. They charged me R280 an hour for labour on 12 hours, the paint work was not done by a professional but by the handyman employed by the owner. The all the faults have not been seen to as yet, according to the estate agent, this is because the building has changed owners. The care taker is employed by the previous owner and has now qualification behind her in this field and the estate agent is in Welkom and the block of flats where I am renting is in Benoni. I can't even get a representitive from the estate agency to come here to look at the complaints as they are too far away. I am not the only tenant who has signed a blank inspection form and if we complain about the care taker, she victimises said tenants.