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Have a question you would like answered? Email us and we may answer it. The questions here are based on ones from our readers, with identifying information removed.

Topic: Housing  |  Show questions and answers for all topics

Can my stepmother evict me without a court order?

Locking you out and throwing out your property is certainly against the law. No one is allowed to take the law into their own hands like that.

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How do I apply for a house?

Here are some numbers you could call to find out what happened to your application.

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When I applied for an RDP house in 2007 I qualified. I am still waiting but now I earn more than R3,500 per month and have been told I no longer qualify. What can I do?

There are two other housing programmes you may qualify for: the Social Housing Programme (SHP) or “Gap” Housing.

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Can I buy a plot of land from the municipality?

As far as we can establish, municipal land is only sold by a tender process after it is advertised for public participation.

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Can I apply for an affordable flat in the new building in Sea Point?

The block of flats (which will be called “The Fulcrum”) has not yet been built.

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Can my sister, who waited ten years for a house, be rejected from getting one because she has since got married?

Marriage does not disqualify her from getting an RDP house, unless her husband’s income is above R3,500 a month.

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What can I do to stop my former landlord giving bad references about me to agents?

You can approach the Housing Tribunal and ask that your former landlord be stopped from giving bad references.

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How do I go about getting permission to use the curb in front of my house as part of my driveway?

In Cape Town, you can contact the department at 080 065 6463 and they can direct you further.

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My father secured a loan with our house and it got repossessed. What can we do to stop the bank evicting us?

Before giving an eviction order a court must balance your interests against the bank’s, and decide if selling the house is the best option, or if alternatives can be found to settle the debt.

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How do I apply for a house in the Conradie Better Living Model project?

You can apply online.

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