Unfair deductions on my deposit refund.

My name is Nyiko Nkanyana and I am writing to formally file a complaint against my former landlord regarding the deductions made from my rental deposit following my recent evacuation of the unit.

I used to rent at basil court, unit 4 and vacated the unit on 31/01/2025. During the exit inspection conducted by liesel Kovacs noted that only light cleaning was needed—specifically, one cupboard had not been wiped which i explained that i had out plastics of my food since I move dout the very same day of inspection and the cooker hood’s flip was not wiped (according to her(. The rest of the unit was properly cleaned. Additionally, when asked about a ****roach observed during the inspection, I informed her that I had seen one or two ****roaches after returning from home approximately two weeks prior to my evacuation.

Without prior notice or clear communication, my landlord subsequently engaged a professional cleaner at a cost of R950 and arranged for pest control fumigation for R1,000. I specifically inquired about the pest control clause in my lease, but found that no such clause was included. Furthermore, the landlord merely mentioned these services without clearly communicating the total costs involved or clarifying who would be liable for these expenses. This lack of communication left me unable to respond or rectify any alleged issues.

Three weeks after my evacuation, I received a refund of only R2,225 from my deposit, with no detailed explanation of the deductions. Given that the lease does not assign liability for pest control or additional cleaning beyond the minimal issues noted at the exit inspection, I believe these deductions are unwarranted.

I have tried to engage with her further on the matter and she has been ignoring my emails and whatsapp communication.

I understand the fees for breach of contract but however the rest of the deduction I personally feel like was an unfair expense.