The Mpumalanga Rental Tribunal will adjudicate your rental dispute
The tribunal has the authority of a Magistrate's court and serves the public free of charge.
MBOMBELA – Rental disputes between tenants and landlords can become messy.
To address this the Mpumalanga Rental Tribunal adjudicates rental disputes with the same authority as a magistrate’s court.
It is an independent mediation body at the service of landlords and tenants in the province.
This tribunal is appointed by the Mpumalanga Department for Human Settlements and has as it’s purpose to deal with exploitative and unfair practices in the real estate sector. According to Mr Floyd Shabangu, deputy director of the tribunal, the tribunal is a neutral body that takes the principles of South African law into consideration when adjudication rental disputes, with specific reference to the National Credit Act, the Consumer Protection Act and the Rental Housing Act which governs this body.
As soon as a matter is reported to the tribunal, mediation is attempted. Where a party is in the wrong, that party is advised with regards thereto. Should this be unsuccessful, the matter will be heard in front of a full tribunal. This consists of expert attorneys, advocates and other property professionals, three of which are usually present at such a hearing.
Shabangu explains that the tribunal intends to ensure that both parties to a rental contract does what they have contractually agreed to do – the landlords needs to provide reasonably expected maintenance and the tenant has to pay rent.
He indicates that the turnaround time for cases administered by the tribunal is two months and that, after receiving an instruction, the tribunal aims to provide date for the mediation within five days. In cases where a hearing is necessary, the tribunal aims to provide the parties with a date on which the hearing is to take place within 14 days.
Judgement may be expected more or less two weeks after the hearing. The tribunal’s judgements carry the authority of magistrate court judgements and any appeals against these judgements are to be instituted in a High Court.
Shabangu emphasises that the Mpumalanga Rental Tribunal is a mobile court that follows the dispute within the borders of the province. This saves travelling costs on the part of the claimant and defendant as the tribunal’s staff is willing to arrange for the hearings to take place wherever in the province it may be needed.
Enquiries:013-757-0792 or rentaltribunal@mpg.gov.za
