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Pay your rent arrears for City housing<span> <h2 class="sectHeading">​​​​​​​​​​Visit a housing office​​​​​​​</h2></span> <p>If you have not paid your rent you will be sent a red letter asking you to pay your rent.</p><p> <strong>Step 1:</strong> Visit your nearest <a href="https://www.capetown.gov.za/Family%20and%20home/See-all-City-facilities/Our-service-facilities/Housing%20offices"> housing office</a> and tell them the reasons for not paying.</p><p> <strong>Step 2:</strong> Make an arrangement at the housing office to pay your current rental as well as an amount towards your arrears. If you keep to this arrangement, no further action will be taken against you.</p><p> <strong>Step 3</strong>: If you have not responded to the red letter sent to you by the City, a housing staff member will visit your home to assess your situation and advise you on either making an arrangement or applying for indigent relief, depending on your financial position.</p> <span> <div class="notification with-heading dark-copy pink bg-light-grey"><div class="graphic with-border"> <i class="info note">​​​</i></div><div class="desc"><h4>Please note</h4><p>If you are earning less than R4 500 or less per month, you may qualify for <a href="https://www.capetown.gov.za/City-Connect/apply/city-housing-and-properties/housing-opportunities/apply-for-rental-housing-relief">rental housing relief</a>. If you are receiving your Indigent Grant for the first time, any debt that you owe will be written off.</p></div></div></span><span> <h2 class="sectHeading">​​​​​​​​​​Pay your legal fees​​​​​​​</h2></span> <p>Should you not respond to the advice given and act to clear your debt, you will receive a letter of demand from the City’s attorney.</p><p> <strong>Step 1:</strong> Visit your nearest <a href="https://www.capetown.gov.za/Family%20and%20home/See-all-City-facilities/Our-service-facilities/Housing%20offices"> housing office</a> to discuss payment. Do not visit the attorney’s office.</p><p> <strong>Step 2:</strong> Make an arrangement with the housing office to pay your current rental as well as an amount towards your arrears. </p><p> <strong>Step 3:</strong> You will have to pay for legal fees.</p> <span> <h2 class="sectHeading">​​​​​​​​​​Respond to your summons​​​​​​​</h2></span> <p>If you do not respond to the lawyer’s letter of demand (and discuss your debt at a housing office) within 30 days, you will be sent a summons.</p><p> <strong>Step 1:</strong> Visit your nearest <a href="https://www.capetown.gov.za/Family%20and%20home/See-all-City-facilities/Our-service-facilities/Housing%20offices"> housing office</a> immediately to discuss payment of your rent and to pay an amount towards your debt. Do not visit the attorney’s office.</p><p> <strong>Step 2:</strong> You will need to pay one month’s rent, as well as the legal fees for the lawyer’s letter and the summons served.</p> <span> <div class="notification with-heading dark-copy pink bg-light-grey"><div class="graphic with-border"> <i class="info note">​​​</i> </div><div class="desc"><h4>Please note</h4><p>The legal fees increase with each letter that you are sent.</p></div></div></span><span> <h2 class="sectHeading">​​​​​​​​​​Respond to the default judgement</h2></span> <p>If you do not respond to the summons that was served to you within 30 days and have not paid your arrears in full or arranged to pay your rent and an amount towards your debt, the City’s attorney will apply to the court for a default judgement to be issued against you. </p><p>This could result in you being blacklisted and you will not be allowed to make credit purchases.</p><p> <strong>Step 1:</strong> Visit your nearest <a href="https://www.capetown.gov.za/Family%20and%20home/See-all-City-facilities/Our-service-facilities/Housing%20offices">housing office</a> immediately to arrange payment.</p><p> <strong>Step 2:</strong> Pay your debt and legal fees, which include two months’ rental plus all legal fees (for the lawyers letter, summons and default judgement).</p> <span> <h2 class="sectHeading">​​​​​​​​​​Respond to the court order to have you evicted</h2></span> <p>Continued failure on your part to respond to the action taken against you will lead to the City applying to the court to have you evicted from your home. </p><p>The eviction will be carried out by the Sheriff of the Court and you will have to pay these legal fees as well. You can still stop the process of eviction by paying the amount you owe.</p><p> <strong>Step 1:</strong> Visit your nearest <a href="https://www.capetown.gov.za/Family%20and%20home/See-all-City-facilities/Our-service-facilities/Housing%20offices">housing office</a> immediately to arrange payment.</p><p> <strong>Step 2:</strong> Pay your debt and legal fees, which include three months of rent plus all legal fees.</p> <span> <h2 class="sectHeading">​​​​​​​​​​Continue paying your debt, or risk eviction​​​​​​​</h2></span> <p> If you stop the eviction by arranging to pay your debt but then stop paying what you owe, the City will go back to court for an eviction order. </p><p> <strong>Step 1:</strong> Visit your nearest <a href="https://www.capetown.gov.za/Family%20and%20home/See-all-City-facilities/Our-service-facilities/Housing%20offices">housing office</a> immediately to arrange payment.</p><p> <strong>Step 2:</strong> Pay your debt and legal fees, which will include 12 months of rent and the cost of the eviction order.</p> <span> <div class="notification with-heading dark-copy pink bg-light-grey"><div class="graphic with-border"> <i class="info note">​​​</i></div><div class="desc"><h4>Please note</h4><p>If you stop paying your debt again, you will have to pay for a renewed court order as well as all housing debt you owe to stop the eviction.</p></div></div></span><span> <h2 class="sectHeading">​​​​​​​​​​Contact us</h2></span> <h4>New Market Development Directorate</h4><address><p>Email: <br><a href="mailto:housingdb@capetown.gov.za">housingdb@capetown.gov.za</a></p><p>Address: <br>The Housing Information Kiosk <br>Second Floor<br>Civic Centre<br>Hertzog Boulevard<br>Cape Town​<br></p> </address>GP0|#299b59ba-3467-432a-b088-a4c6abebe426;L0|#0299b59ba-3467-432a-b088-a4c6abebe426|City housing rent;GTSet|#a7cfb90d-44ad-4426-98ce-565f79932396;GPP|#7b300e7a-1664-4c31-bfa0-7ba4402848f9;GPP|#d36c9e28-9810-4cff-bcbb-7a6f41899a5dPay your rent and any debt arrears to avoid eviction.

 

 

 

 

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