The City of Cape Town has formulated a strategy to deal with rundown buildings and abandoned properties, which are often at the centre of criminal and anti-social activities.

According to Cllr Brian Watkyns, chairperson of the Planning and Environment Portfolio Committee, "dilapidated buildings and erven are an increasing problem across the city".

Although there are adequate by-laws to deal with such properties, there are difficulties in implementing the legislation, he said.

"More often than not, the owners are absent or deceased. In some cases, a defaulting bond holder has simply abandoned the property. There are usually large rates or services bills owing to the City.

"In some instances, these buildings are occupied illegally or are being rented out illegally by persons other than the owners.”

Watkyns said the City had received numerous complaints about such properties from the public throughout the Cape Town metropolitan area over the last year.

"However, without a proper strategy in place, it has been difficult to follow up on each complaint,” he added.

The City’s Planning and Environment Portfolio Committee (Pepco) has now endorsed a strategy to rid Cape Town of problem properties to the ultimate benefit of the entire metropole, Watkyns said.

The strategy will be co-ordinated by the City’s Planning and Building Development Management Department, and implemented through its eight district planning offices.

Piet van Zyl, Executive Director for Strategy and Planning, said his department will work closely with the City’s departments for Heritage Resources, Health, Fire & Safety, Finance, Legal, and Law Enforcement.

"Problem buildings can generally be defined as properties that contravene national building regulations; are overcrowded or in a deplorable state; are the subject of numerous complaints from the public; invaded by illegal squatters; or pose a serious health or safety risk.

"In terms of the new policy, on receipt of a complaint, the City’s project team will first collate all the relevant data that Council has on file regarding the property by conducting a ‘desktop’ investigation. Thereafter, there will be a multi-departmental inspection to determine which laws are being contravened.

"Once the owner has been located, the City will serve a joint notice setting out all contraventions with a deadline for compliance. It can also invite owners to discuss the contraventions, and implement its debt management policy or take legal action where necessary," said Van Zyl.

There are also long-term solutions to dealing with problem properties, including restoration, redevelopment or disposal. The project team will also liaise with City Heritage to deal with any heritage status buildings.