Personal belongings moved out of rented apartment, without permission resulting in loss which management is not willing to take accountability

I recently stayed at one of your Ipanema Beach rental apartments—Apt 404 on 2 Lagoon Drive, Umhlanga—checking in on October 4th, based on a Booking.com reservation made by a friend who was staying there with me. However, my experience was far from what I expected due to significant issues with room allocation and mishandling of my personal belongings.

There was a mix-up with the room assignments, and it was confirmed on October 5th that I should have been allocated Apt 202, not 404. While I was out, it was agreed that I would move my belongings to Apt 202 upon my return. My friend specifically informed your staff that under no circumstances should my personal items be moved without me being present.

However, upon returning to Apt 404, I discovered the door open, new tenants already occupying the space, and my belongings missing. After contacting my friend who had made the booking, we realized that housekeeping had moved my items without my consent, despite the clear instructions not to do so. When I eventually located my belongings in Apt 202, I noticed that everything had been placed in the main bedroom, except for my laptop, which had been left in the living room of Apt 404.

Despite numerous calls and back-and-forths to resolve the issue, my laptop remains missing. While Patricia from your team has been helpful, she mentioned she was not in a position to advise on the next steps. I’m left frustrated by the lack of communication and responsibility, especially considering it was your team that moved my belongings and allowed new tenants into the apartment before verifying that all my possessions were accounted for.

This experience has been deeply disappointing, and I hope your management team will take the necessary steps to prevent such incidents in the future and assist me in resolving the matter of my missing laptop.