A property expert gives advice on how to avoid the legal pitfalls in student housing.
Property owners are increasingly renting out their homes to capitalise on the critical shortage of student accommodation in South Africa, but unless they are legally compliant, they are exposing themselves to fines, eviction halts and financial losses.
That is according to Just Property CEO Paul Stevens, who warns that landlords who do not comply can face hefty fines.
“Many small landlords wrongly believe that they can fly under the radar. But a recent legal ruling show that the number of neighbours reporting suspected communes is also on the rise.
“The reality is that student digs have to comply with strict municipal bylaws, zoning laws, and national regulations which are drastically different from the traditional buy-to-let playing field”.
