complaint about refusal to pay back my deposit

The complaint is about Ike and Lena's properties ‘s in Chantelle in Pretoria North. The Agency deals with both rental and sales and I was placed in the Princial ‘s very own flat let for rental since 2018 October. My lease agreement had the inception date but didn’t have the end date. I was a very good Tenant who always paid rent on time yet both of them treated me very badly. Sometime last year they both accused me of damaging the oven lid. They claimed I set on the lid and it got damaged. The wife, Magda swore at me and even told me to “**** off” her property, but she later apologized and I continued to stay. On the 1st of March 2021, they sent me a notice via watzup requesting me to move out at the end of the same month. I explained that I wasn’t financially ready to move and that I had no money for deposit for the new place so it will be difficult to secure a place. I further informed them that I wasn’t expecting to be told to move out suddenly as and requested them to give me until April end. They are also aware that I lost my other job where I had a consistent salary and the job I am currently working pays commission only and its not monthly. As a result , I wasn’t expecting any income the month of March so financially it was impossible to change places. They rudely refused and told me that I will leave their house and that they will terminate my utilities should I fail to move out end of March 2021. I had to seek help legal help from a Laywer who wrote them an email and only then, did they agree that I can stay and move out on the 1st of May 2021. Early morning on the 1st of May 2021, I moved out as planned and an exit inspection was done with his wife Magda and we even singed it off. There were only 3 things to be fixed/replaced such as cleaning and replacement of 2 blinds. Since then , the couple never refunded my deposit and kept quite all this while. On the 1st of June 2021,I received an email sent from Jan the Principal claiming more things than what I singed for during the exit inspection. He inflated all charges and even claimed that my deposit was used up and I that I owe him.

1. He charged me 350 for cleaning (250 cleaning ,150 cleaning material). The lady whom I sent to clean the house only charges 200 but Jan charged me more. 2. Jan charged me R450 for collection of rubble, the same rubble was collected by municipal people free of charge. Furthermore, he never informed me that I was to remove the rubble myself or that he will charge ridiculous amount and I only found out yesterday. 3. Jan estimated the water charge which was prepaid by the way, claiming that the prepaid water meter unit was faulty and I failed to report it.according to my knowledge there was credit for water as I paid more and used less and the unit didn’t have any error that I knew off. I only lived with my daughter and we weren't using much water. Initially the toilet was overflowing and leaking which caused our initial water usage to be high . I then requested him to fix it and later our water consumption reduced. I also put in measures in place to further reduce both water and electricity consumption. He claims that I bridged the water, and he estimated that I owed him R1080 which is 270 usage per 2 months from Dec 2020 till June 2021. We weren’t in the unit from 23 dec 2020 till 27 Jan 2021,1st week of April as well I wasn’t even in the province. I moved out on the 1st May which means even June 2021 I wasn’t there yet I am charged on those months. There is a lot of credit on the meter unit which I recharged with my own money and left it yet I am getting double charged yet the unit ran on both prepaid water and electricity. He further claimed that I had tempered with the water supply or breached it but failed to provide technical proof of those allegations. I then called Ideal prepaid meter company and they said they merely look at the purchase behaviour and then estimate based on that to come to a conclusion that the water was breached merely because I wasn’t spending as much as I spent previously. The Agent who assisted me advised me to call Jan and discuss with him and also request him to provide proof of my consumption and proof that the water was breached but both Jan and Magda didn’t take my calls nor return them. 4. Furthermore, he charged me 117 for late vacating of the unit and yet I vacated on the 1st of May 2021 in the morning and we did the exit inspection same day yet this charge was not mentioned. I only became aware of this charge on the 1st of June 2021. 5. The blinds for the bathroom is R175 at sheet street and he charged me R299. 6. The passage blind also cannot be R1250 and he failed to furnish me proof of purchase. Charges received a month after moving out from Jan the Principal of Ike and Lena properties in Chantelle Pretoria North! “The tenant indicated that we can deduct the cleaning of the house from the deposit - R250 + R100 cleaning materials 2. The rubble had to be removed - R450 3. Blind in the passage replacement - R1250 4. Blind in the bathroom - R299 5. Water meter damage - The tenant failed to report that the water meter was not working - The providers are of the opinion that it could have been tampered with. However, the last time the tenant bought water was in September 2020. Since then no water was purchased. After obtaining the usage chart from the provider, I could determine that +- R270 water was used every 2 months. This thus then calculates to the months of Dec, Feb, Apr & Jun at R270 per time = R1080. 6. The tenant also vacated the property a day after she was supposed to - Thus calculated R3500 / 30 = R117 per day The tenant also had a shortfall on her deposit of R350 Total amount to be deducted from deposit Deposit R 3500 - Deposit shortfall R 350 - House cleaning R 350 - Rubble removal R 450 - Blind passage R 1250 - Blind bathroom R 299 - Water usage 8 months R1080 - Late vacating premises R 117 Total R -396 “

Based on this I lost a whole 3125 deposit and this guys still claim I owe them. So if you wish to rent/buy from Ike and Lena Agency , be warned !it will end in tears! My next stop is the Tribunal Council!