‘I am so honoured to have met two of our top tenants Mrs Margaret Manuel from Lotus River and Mrs Gabiba van Harte from Parkwood. Our senior tenants are some of our best tenants and set the example for our other tenants. And I want to add that they also face daily challenges and financial pressures, but they show us that there should be no excuse for not paying one’s rent. 

​‘We’re one of the largest landlords in South Africa with more than 45 000 highly subsidised rental units offering affordable housing for more than 200 000 residents, but we are absolutely dependent on rental income to create safer and more dignified public housing spaces.

‘As part of our focus on public housing, we are looking at mega boost investments of more than R1,2 billion over the next few years; greater safety interventions and also to up rental payments because this is crucial for maintenance. Help us to create safer, more dignified public housing spaces. 

‘There are so many City tenants who, even though they have the money, refuse to pay their rent and many units are unlawfully occupied, which robs us of the rental income so that we can use that for maintenance. There are even more residents who would gladly pay just to have a roof over their heads. If tenants can’t pay due to financial problems, we can make a plan. Come and talk to our housing office staff. The debt will not go away by itself and we offer comprehensive debt relief services. Let’s pay our way,’ said Councillor Pophaim. 

Why the City needs lawful tenants and rental income

The rental income that the City collects is used to maintain its rental stock, but low levels of rental payment, unlawful occupation of units and the large number of units that the City manages present a challenge.