The Property Poser panel has received a query from a reader who arranged a late payment of her monthly rental with the agent concerned but then found that her prepaid electricity card had been blocked. Unable to purchase electricity, she has approached the experts for advice. According to Stiaan Jonker of Smith Tabata Attorneys in Port Elizabeth, the Rental Housing Act declares it an unfair practice for a landlord to unlawfully shut off the utilities to a rental property. "The … [Read more...] about Unfair of landlord to cut off electricity
utilities
Tenant faces unreasonable utilities demands
This week the Property Poser panel addresses a problem from a reader who is renting a cottage on another person's property. She explains that she pays her rental in advance and her utilities in arrears and settles them jointly around the 27th, even though her lease stipulates that they are only due at the end of the month. Recently, her landlady obtained an up-to-date municipal account and insisted that the amount was payable by the 7th even though, in the normal course of events, the … [Read more...] about Tenant faces unreasonable utilities demands
