Rentals in the capital costly in many ways

- 2016-10-20 00:00:00

Mariana Balt - They come with hands full of cash, or they rush to do a quick electronic transfer - all in the hope of securing a place to live, but even that doesn’t guarantee residents of Windhoek a rental contract or a place to stay.

With a medium-sized three-bedroom townhouse easily being rented out in the region of N$17 000 per month, it is small wonder that potential tenants fall over their feet whenever an affordable dwelling is advertised in a newspaper or on social media.

Phone calls to estate agents more often than not bring the answer: All our properties are currently rented out - we''ll let you know as soon as something becomes available.

This situation also results in a breeding ground for unscrupulous people, sometimes posing as estate agents, who practise unlawful practices.

Some cheated customers merely cut their losses and search further for suitable accommodation, but others have complained to the media. Most complaints involve agents who require a deposit from people who want to rent a flat or house. Eager to secure a contract, many customers adhere to the request, only to be informed later that the landlord changed his mind, or that another tenant managed to get a step ahead and had paid the deposit first.

This often results in the customer struggling to get his money back and in the process also losing more opportunities of reacting to other advertisements.

According to agents of good reputation however, no deposit needs be paid before a lawful contract between lessor and lessee has been entered into.

Since the loss a landlord may incur from tenants defaulting on monthly payments can be substantial, it is understandable that some of them also go to the extreme to get their monthly rental. In doing so the law is often violated. Cases have been reported where landlords prohibited tenants from entry to their rented homes or threatened to sell furniture to recover costs.

According to an expert, such a landlord needs a court order to perfect the security he has over the possessions of the tenant. He may not remove or seize the property without a court order. Doing so, could be seen as prima facie theft.

Landlords and tenants, and especially new estate agents, should familiarise themselves with the Namibia Estate Agents Act 112 of 1976 and regulations, which amongst others deals with improper conduct of estate agents.

When any estate agent is found guilty of improper conduct by the Namibia Estate Agents Board (NEAB), the board may withdraw the fidelity fund certificate of such estate agent, impose a fine on the estate agent or reprimand such estate agent.

Whereas complaints should be made to the NEAB, having it resolved or getting their attention seems to be another issue. Several consulted estate agents feel that it is a worthless institution and many customers who did air their complaints to them, eventually resorted to the media about the lack of attention and service.

Emails that we sent for comment, remained unanswered. Following up with a telephone call, the manager of the board, Mr Richard Steen, acknowledged reception of our emails, but declined to comment on any of the allegations put to them. Implying that he may not speak to the press, he promised to forward the emails to the chairman of the board, copying the newspaper in doing so. At the time of going to press, no copied emails or answers were received, but the chairman of the board phoned and apologised. She said that she took over that position with a large backlog on cases and promised to attend to complaints as soon as possible. The board can be reached on 061 249 885 or fax 061 234 709.