“I Was Delusional”: Woman Shares Mistakes She Made When Buying First House at 25

• A local woman shared with people the numerous mistakes she made when she decided to buy her first home
• The woman, Mpumi, said she became a landlord and ran into problems with the tenant she wanted to evict
• Some South African online users thanked the woman for sharing her story as they could learn from her mistakes

Major life milestones can bring pride and accomplishment but often come with unexpected challenges. Recently, a woman opened up about the obstacles she encountered purchasing her first home, giving others a look at the harsh realities she faced.

Woman's mistakes buying a home

A TikTok user named Mpumi shared with app users that at 25, she bought her first home. However, she made mistakes along the way when she decided to rent out the property.

Mpumi said her first mistake was thinking that buying and renting the property and collecting rent money made her a businesswoman, stating:

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"I was very delusional."

One of the biggest mistakes mentioned was that she didn't consult a rental property agent to draft a contract between her and her tenant, whom she wanted to evict.

Mpumi said she wanted to sell her property to be more present at home and care for her mother and daughter.

She claims that the contract she gave the tenant without the help of a professional gave them more rights.

The woman told app users:

"Make sure you get a lawyer or rental property agent to draft your contract for you so that you and your tenant are protected."

The entire process cost Mpumi over R22 000.

"All of this is because there was no proper clause in my lease agreement with my tenant that protected me as a landlord."

Watch the TikTok video below:

Dos and don'ts for landlords in SA

According to the home-hunting site Property24, rental agents from Seeff Southern Suburbs listed the following dos and don'ts for landlords in Mzansi concerning evictions:

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Don'ts

• Cut off electricity.
• Increase rent to cover costs.
• Discriminate against tenants.
• Neglect to maintain the property.
• Lock tenants out of the property or evict them unlawfully.
• Cancel the lease before the end of the period without legal process.

Dos

• Review the lease agreement.
• Serve a notice of default before taking legal action.
• Cancel the lease agreement if tenants fail to pay the arrears.
• File an application at the court if tenants fail to pay after the notice of breach.
• Attend a court hearing.
• Obtain an eviction order.
• Enforce the eviction order if the tenants don't vacate by a specific date.
• Ensure compliance with the law.

SA comments on woman's renting mistakes

A few local members of the online community took to the comment section to express their thoughts about the dilemma the woman faced.

An appreciative @anelesithole7 wrote:

"Thank you for sharing. This was very helpful."

@tebs_tech stated their opinion:

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"South African laws are not landlord-friendly, especially in the suburbs, but in the kasi, you can use other measures to remove tenants."

@lifewiththoko told the app users:

"This is so educational and is something one often doesn’t consider when purchasing a property."

After watching the clip, @lwandile.nkosi said to Mpumi:

"Very useful. I didn't know SARS will use my business account for the rental."

Mpumi shared with the TikTokker:

"I started not seeing my profits because of SARS returns. It felt like working backwards."

3 Other Briefly News stories about renting

• A young South African man shared his opinion about why renting is much better than paying a bond.
• A local couple ditched renting apartments and transformed their humble shack into a dream home. Their decision to 'downsize' resonated with online users.
• An unemployed South African woman shared photos of the home she rented using grant money. People asked her for decor tips.

Source: Briefly News