Rogue Landlords Warned To Shape Up

17 December, 2008

Story Written By Derrick Dlamini

The City has warned landlords to maintain their buildings and pay their bills – or face legal action. Hoosen Moolla, the Acting Manager of the Inner Thekwini Regeneration and Urban Management Programme (iTrump), said they were cracking down on the owners of buildings who owed millions in outstanding rates and service charges. Affected properties would be placed under judicial administration as part of the City’s Better Buildings programme, he said.

But Moolla said the programme was more than a debt-collecting exercise, it was also an attempt to return the buildings to a financially healthy state while halting deterioration. It aims to regenerate the inner city while maintaining urban management to protect and encourage investment. Several buildings in central Durban had been identified as poorly maintained and had since been revived; others had been sealed off because they had become havens for criminals. “We recently won a High Court case against the owner and agent of an illegal accommodation establishment in the Albert Park area.

Momentum

“We are gaining momentum and want people to comply. We can’t allow our beautiful city to degenerate. “We’ll continue to take tough measures against those who resist adhering to bylaws,” he said. Moolla attributed the programme’s success to wide consultation and a collective approach, involving other City departments. He said the City was aware of a number of landlords who ran shoddy, illegal accommodation establishments. “We have cases where landlords are placing containers on their property for accommodation, others convert warehouses into accommodation, charging tenants high rentals without proper facilities. We are proceeding with High Court action against them,” he said.

Moolla advised the owners of property which falls under the Urban Development Zone to consider applying for a tax incentive to upgrade their properties. He said the City commended owners who had cooperated with the Better Buildings committee and iTrump in improving their buildings. He urged landlords who wanted to get on the right side of the law to contact iTrump at 031 202 5785.

bookmark this story