Real Estate Investor Magazine South Africa September 2018 | Page 25

INVESTMENT SERIES TENANT STORIES Creative excuses used by tenants Penalties for late payments and monthly reminders seem to be a lost on some tenants. Though it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to see the originality of the excuse in the moment, some of them are truly unique in hindsight. Below are some of the most creative excuses the RE/MAX of Southern Africa network has heard over the years… Technical Difficulties “The electricity pre-paid box is not working so I don’t have electricity to make an EFT” “The bank has frozen my account and nobody at the bank can tell me why.” “My computer was stolen so I cannot make inter- net payments now.” “All my information on my Cell Phone was lost, so I didn’t have your banking details.”   “We weren’t able to pay because we didn’t manage to withdraw due to our SIM cards being blocked.” Shifting the Blame “The electricity is too high so until I get to the bottom of it, I`m not paying the rent.” “I DID pay you, so it is the bank who has not paid you.” Guilt Factor “I had to make the choice of paying my rent or buying food for my kids.” “I gave my partner signing power on my bank account and they’ve stolen all my money.” Feigning Ignorance “I have moved out and didn’t realise that you needed to know.” “But, it’s December. I didn’t think we had to pay in December.” “We will make double payments next month. You can use the deposit for this month.” A Sad Revelation  “I gave the rent to my husband to pay. I will check with him. ” Later: “I found out that my husband was lying to me and using the money for something else. We’re now getting divorced. You should receive payment shortly.” “The creativity of a defaulting tenant knows no bounds. While we all run into personal difficulties from time to time, landlords must be careful not to allow themselves to get duped into believing the multiple excuses their tenant can come up with. That’s why it is better to involve a rental agent who knows how to handle these transactions on your behalf,” concludes Adrian Goslett, Regional Director and CEO of RE/MAX of Southern Africa. A digital campaign for every pocket Reach out to potential investors today Contact us now: [email protected] [phone] Source: www.remax.co.za. SA Real Estate Investor Magazine SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2018 23