Jou strandhuis is in die mark vir verkoop of verhuring. Die Franse paartjie het die advertensie op die internet gesien, kontak gemaak uit Frankryk en stel belang om jou strandhuis te koop of te huur vir vakansies in Suid-Afrika of selfs later in te woon indien die man se aanstelling as streeksbestuurder van die nuwe Afrika-been van sy Franse maatskappy realiseer. Is dit so maklik? Kan jy sommer net jou huis so oor die telefoon verhuur of verkoop aan hierdie buitelanders? Sal die transaksie geldig wees en is daar spesifieke vereistes vir so ‘n transaksie? Die antwoorde op hierdie vrae is van groot belang vir verhuurders en verkopers wat buitelandse huurders of kopers in gedagte het.

In kort, die antwoord is ‘ja’ dit kan so maklik wees. Buitelanders se eiendomstransaksies is onderhewig aan dieselfde wetgewing en regulasies as Suid-Afrikaners se eiendomstransaksies. ‘n Buitelander het dus nie nodig om fisies in Suid-Afrika teenwoordig te wees om jou strandhuis te huur of te koop nie.

Die koopprys van die eiendom kan deur die Franse paartjie in geheel met buitelandse fondse betaal word en is die enigste vereiste dat die buitelandse fondse in ‘n genomineerde Suid-Afrikaanse bankrekening inbetaal moet word. Hierdie bankrekening sal gewoonlik die trustrekening van die plaaslike oordragsprokureurs wees. Waar ‘n buitelander egter by ‘n plaaslike finansiële instelling finansiering wil aangaan vir die koop, is daar wel ‘n beperking dat slegs 50% van die totale koopprys by ’n Suid-Afrikaanse finansiële instelling geleen mag word.

Verder, indien die Franse paartjie die oordragsdokumente en verbanddokumente in Frankryk wil onderteken (buite die grense van Suid-Afrika) vereis ons reg dat die dokumente voor ‘n notaris van daardie land geteken moet word en dat die notaris se amp bevestig moet word deur die betrokke land se howe. Hierdie kan ‘n tydrowende proses wees waar die buitelanders nie by magte is om die dokumente in Suid-Afrika te kan onderteken nie. Hierdie addisionele vereistes is nie van toepassing op ‘n huurooreenkoms nie, omdat die ooreenkoms nie by die Aktekantoor registreer moet word nie.

Waar die Fransman se aanstelling later realiseer en hulle besluit om in jou strandhuis te woon, sal die paartjie se wettige verblyf hier onderworpe wees aan die Immigrasie Wet wat beteken dat hulle ‘n wettige permit moet verkry om in Suid-Afrika woonagtig te wees. Aangesien die koop of huur egter reeds gefinaliseer is, sal dit geen impak hê op die geldigheid van die voltooide koop of verhuring nie.

Ter samevatting, ‘n buitelander wat buite die grense van Suid-Afrika woonagtig is, mag eiendom in Suid-Afrika huur of koop. Die beperkings rakende plaaslike finansiering, veral waar die verkryging van finansiering `n opskortende voorwaarde van die ooreenkoms is, asook die vereistes vir ondertekening van dokumentasie in die buiteland, moet in gedagte gehou word aangesien dit tydrowend kan wees en addisionele kostes kan meebring voordat die eiendom registreer kan word.

Can a foreigner lease or purchase immovable property in South Africa? And, if this is possible, what are the requirements for such a transaction to be valid? Also, can I lease or sell my property to any foreigner? The answers to these questions are pertinent to landlords and sellers garnering interest of foreign tenants and purchasers.

In South Africa the right of a foreigner to purchase immovable property was restricted in the past by the Aliens Control Act. These restrictions were uplifted in 2003 by the new Immigration Act (“the Act”) which repealed the Aliens Control Act and many of its restrictive provisions and now clearly defines who a legal foreigner is and who is not. In short, a legal foreigner is a person in possession of a valid temporary residence permit or a permanent residence permit approved by the Department of Home Affairs.

The new Act makes provision for various temporary residence permits to be issued to foreigners, including amongst others:

• A visitor’s permit
• A work and entrepreneurial permit
• A retired person permit

In principle a landlord or tenant can legitimately lease or sell immovable property to any person recognised under the Act as a legal foreigner.

Importantly, if a foreigner needs to secure funds to buy immovable property in South Africa, he may borrow only up to a maximum of 50% of the purchase price from a South African financial institution. The balance of the purchase price must be made up of foreign funds, which the foreigner will have to transfer to a South African bank account and the non-resident will need to provide proof of earnings as well as comply with the Financial Intelligence Centre Act.

That said, foreigners working in South Africa with a legal work permit, are not regarded as “non-residents” by the South African Reserve Bank. They are considered to be residents for the duration of the period of their work permit and are therefore not restricted to a loan of only 50% of the purchase price.

It is also important to take note that the Act criminalizes the letting or selling of immovable property to an illegal foreigner by making this transaction equivalent to the aiding and abetting of an illegal foreigner and is such an act classified as a criminal offence in terms of the Act.

In conclusion, a legal foreigner may let or buy immovable property in South Africa, provided that he is the holder of either a legal temporary residence permit or a permanent residence permit approved by the Department of Home Affairs. Ensure that you enquire from your potential tenant or purchaser whether they are legally present in South Africa and obtain the necessary proof from them before entering into any transaction with a foreigner. Also take account of the restrictions on local financing, particularly where the procurement of financing is a condition precedent to the agreement.

The Rental Housing Act 50 of 1999 (“the Act”) came into effect on 1 August 2000.  The aims of the Act are to regulate the relationship between tenants and landlords by laying down general requirements relating to leases, making provision for the establishment of Rental Housing Tribunals in each province, and establishing principles to govern conflict resolution in the rental housing sector. The Act furthermore defines a “landlord” as the owner of a dwelling or his/her authorised agent. 

Two crucial provisions contained in this Act are discussed below. The first is that the Act provides that a lease does not have to be in writing, but a landlord must reduce it to writing if a tenant requests him/her to do so. In addition, certain provisions are deemed to be included in the agreement. In other words, the provisions form part of the agreement whether or not the parties actually agreed thereon or included it in their written or verbal agreement.

These deemed provisions include:

• That the landlord must furnish the tenant with written receipts for all payments received.
• That deposits paid by the tenant to the landlord/agent must be invested by the landlord/agent in an interest-bearing account with a financial institution and the landlord/agent must pay the tenant interest at the rate applicable to a savings account with a financial institution. The tenant may request the landlord/agent to provide him/her with written proof in respect of the interest accrued on the deposit, and the landlord/agent must provide this on request.
• That the tenant and landlord/agent jointly, before the tenant moves into the dwelling, inspect the dwelling to ascertain whether or not there are any defects or damage to the dwelling. If there are any defects or damage, it must be recorded in writing and attached as an annexure to the lease.
• That, at the expiration of the lease, the landlord/agent and tenant must arrange a joint inspection of the dwelling to take place within a period of three days prior to the expiration of the lease. This is necessary, amongst other things, to determine whether the tenant caused any damage to the premises during the period of the lease.
• That, on the expiration of the lease, the landlord/agent may apply the deposit and interest towards the payment of all amounts for which the tenant remains liable under the lease, including the reasonable cost of repairing damage to the dwelling during the lease period. The balance of the deposit and interest, if any, must then be refunded to the tenant by the landlord/agent not later than 14 days after the tenant has vacated the dwelling.
• That the receipts which indicate the costs which the landlord/agent incurred in repairing any damage to the dwelling must be made available to the tenant for inspection as proof of the costs incurred.
• That, should no amounts be due and owing to the landlord/agent in terms of the lease, the deposit, together with the accrued interest, must be refunded by the landlord/agent to the tenant, without any deduction or set-off, within seven days of expiration of the lease.
• That, failure by the landlord/agent to inspect the dwelling in the presence of the tenant upon the expiry of the lease, is deemed to be an acknowledgement by the landlord/agent that the dwelling is in a good state of repair. The landlord/agent will then have no further claim against the tenant and must then refund the full deposit plus interest to the tenant.

It is important to note that these standard provisions listed above are enforceable in court and may not be waived by the tenant or the landlord.

The second important provision relates to the establishment of Rental Housing Tribunals (“Tribunals”) in each province. Complaints may be lodged by mail or facsimile or delivered in person to the office of a Tribunal. Any dispute that arose as a result of an unfair practice (as defined the Act) must be determined by a Tribunal unless proceedings have already been instituted in another court. However, a person retains the right to approach an ordinary court to institute proceedings for the recovery of arrear rental or for eviction in the absence of a dispute regarding an unfair practice. A ruling by the Tribunal is deemed to be an order of the magistrate’s court in terms of the Magistrate’s Court Act, 1944 and the proceedings of a Tribunal may be brought under review before the High Court within its area of jurisdiction. 

Contact details for the Rental Housing Tribunals:

Western Cape Housing Tribunal:
27 Wale Street, Ground Floor, Cape Town
Call centre: 0860 106 166Fax: 021 483 2060

Gauteng Rental Housing Tribunal:
Ten Sixty Six building, 14th FloorNo. 35 Pritchard Streets (Cnr Harrison and Pritchard Str)Johannesburg
Tel: 011 630 5035Fax: 011 630 5057

A landlord has a tacit hypothec over a tenant’s movable property, should the tenant fail to pay any rental that is due. However, the hypothec is only enforceable if the landlord has a court order to this effect!

Thus, prior to obtaining a court order, the tenant may remove his goods from the premises himself and the hypothec will fall away.

Section 32 of the Magistrate’s Court Act is a useful tool in such circumstances as it allows the landlord to obtain an urgent order perfecting the hypothec and authorising the sheriff to attach and remove the goods for safe-keeping, pending the finalisation of any action for the outstanding rental.