The Consumer Protection Act (CPA) came into effect on 1 April 2011 and even after more than two years, the implications of the Act on lease agreements are not always clear. If you are a landlord, you should read this article. More...

Open the link for an open letter from Sicelo Xulu, the Managing Director of City Power,Johannesburg,which was published on City Power's website recently, as well as a power fact sheet issued by City Power. It contains valuable information on meter readings, faulty meters and related problems. Some handy contact numbers are given too.  More...

A growing concern among owners renting out their property is that the initial deposit paid will not be enough if the tenant defaults and there is damage to the property. With this new product from PayProp, which is underwritten by RMB Structured Insurance Limited, owners now have cover of rent and damages at minimal cost to the tenant... More...

We recently discovered two weak spots in our security system – actually criminals pointed them out to us, by stealing wheels off a vehicle in the middle of the night, and trying to get into a side window of the house. This happened while we were sound asleep, under the impression that we have an excellent security system. When we called in our security company, we learnt that some of our beams were not working properly anymore. This made me aware of the importance of maintaining and regularly servicing those systems we install at high cost to protect ourselves, our families and our belongings. More...

In an ideal rental environment, a deposit should be refunded immediately after the expiry of the lease. Unfortunately, this is not always possible. It is good to know the rules... More...

One of the objections that is most often raised against sectional title ownership, is the fact that a monthly levy will be payable. It is seen as an unnecessary additional cost that has to be budgeted for. I think there is another way to look at levies.  More...

It is a known fact that water heating by conventional geysers contributes 30% to 60% to a typical household's electricity cost. Both solar geysers and heat pumps offer a more economical, energy efficient and environmental friendly way to provide warm water. Eskom currently offers rebates on the installation of both. But which one to choose, that is the question. Our chart of comparison may help.  More...

The problems consumers are experiencing with their municipal accounts seem to be countless. If you are one of the unlucky homeowners who is involved in a frustrating battle with council to have a problem resolved, read on... More...

Can a deposit be utilised to cover the last month's rent? If not, why a deposit? And when can the tenant expect the deposit to be refunded? What about interest accrued on the deposit? What does the Rental Act say about this? More...

There tend to be a lot of uncertainty in sectional title complexes about who is responsible for the upkeep of what. To get a better understanding of this, one must understand a few basic terms. More...

I used to be surprised when sectional title owners refer to the body corporate as "them". When it comes to sectional title, there is a lot of misunderstanding, and I would like to clarify some of the most misunderstood issues in a series of articles, starting with the term body corporate.  More...