Greedy landlords who continue to flout city by-laws, health, safety and building regulations in favour of raking in millions from tenants living in appalling, slum-like conditions, be warned – you could face arrest.
Fed up city officials have vowed to get tough, as more than 60 buildings in the city centre and surrounds have come under scrutiny in recent months for non-compliance.
Acting manager of the Inner eThekwini Regeneration Urban Management Programme (iTRUMP) Hoosen Moolla said threats of legal action, notices of non-compliance, fines and even high court action had not deterred landlords.
He said the landlords included wealthy businessmen, lawyers and doctors, many of whom owned more than one building in the city. He estimated they were raking in between R250 000 to R800 000 a month in cash rentals.
He said presently they had three matters regarding non-compliant landlords pending in the Durban High Court.
“We have issued notices warning landlords not to break the law. But, they continue. Some of them even fail to respond to summonses or pay fines. We have no choice but to issue warrants of arrest.”
On Tuesday night, an operation to root out criminal elements living in the Durban CBD and beachfront area saw law enforcement, immigration and eThekwini Municipality officials swoop on more than 22 buildings in the city.
They included buildings in Dr Pixley KaSeme Street, Mahatma Gandhi Street, Fisher Street, Anton Lembede Street, JN Singh Street, Albany Grove, John Milne Street, Umgeni Road, Joseph Nduli Street, Berta Mkhize Street, Ingcuce Road, Derby Street, Carlisle Street and Yusuf Dadoo Street.
These buildings were being investigated for a range of non-compliance issues including unlicensed accommodation, prostitution, illegal liquor establishments, foreign nationals, illegal building invasions and business zoned premises being used for residential purposes. Several buildings were also found to be in contravention of health, safety and building regulations.
Many of the buildings were in a serious state of neglect, with tenants using passages and staircases as toilets.
Each building was sub-divided into little cubicles, not bigger than 2mx2m, and housed at least three to four people.
Many of the buildings had over 300 tenants, each paying a minimum rental of R1 000.
In Louise Lane, more than 500 people were found living in containers, stacked one of top of the other.
Moolla said: “If there is a fire in this area, it will be a disaster. There is no fire escape.” - Daily News