Answers to your questions

Have a question you would like answered? Email us and we may answer it. The questions here are based on ones from our readers, with identifying information removed.

Topic: Housing  |  Show questions and answers for all topics

My landlord exploited and over-charged us because we only had a verbal lease agreement, and eventually evicted us. Can he get away with that?

You can lay a complaint against him at the rental housing tribunal and also against the estate agent who tried to evict you illegally.

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What can I do if my tenant refuses to pay his rent or vacate the premises and I cannot afford to pay for his electricity?

A landlord cannot cut off a tenant's electricity even if he is in arrears with rent. You need to apply for an eviction order from the court.

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What does my housing application status mean?

You can check the meaning of your housing allocation status code in the table below.

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The managing body corporate of my community scheme houses are failing to attend to complaints. What can I do?

The Community Schemes Ombud Service is there to regulate the way parties within community schemes behave.

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How do I refund the person I sold my numbered shack to and get my shack back?

Now that the money has been paid, you can’t reverse the sale of the shack.

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What can I do about the municipality crediting my rates, in error, to the previous owner of the house?

The municipality has to rectify the issue, but you will likely need to settle the bill pending resolution of the dispute.

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How can we evict illegal occupiers from my parents' house if my mother's name doesn't appear on the title deed and my dad has run off with another woman?

If your mother and father divorced, they would each be entitled to 50% of the joint estate created by being married in community of property.

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What can I do as my ex-wife, with whom I was married in community of property, refuses to sign off on her share of the house?

The divorce order, which is binding on both parties, does not in itself vest ownership in the other spouse, although it does create the right to enforce transfer.

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Why is my RDP application status saying "in allocation"?

"In allocation" means that the provincial Allocation Committee is in the process of deciding who should be allocated a house and you are among the applicants being considered.

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My complex is without water and power because the private rental company failed to pay the bills. They refuse to take ownership. What can we do?

Start by laying a complaint with your provincial Rental Housing Tribunal to hold the management to account.

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