Cape Town tenants get boot on eve of World Cup

Landlords with apartments near World Cup venues are evicting tenants in the hope of making a fortune during the 30-day soccer showpiece.

Dozens of people, including some Cape Argus staffers, have been given notice by their landlords to vacate their flats ahead of the tournament.

Landlords are also believed to have drawn up leases that expire at the end of the month, so they have time to renovate before the June 11 kick-off.

Michael Moikangoa and his flatmate were kicked out of their Green Point apartment last month, apparently so that their landlords could renovate it for World Cup soccer fans.

He said the lease had been set to expire this month, but he had been ordered last month to pack his things and go.

"We had a heated debate and then the landlords let it slip that they wanted to get the place ready for the World Cup visitors," said Moikangoa.

"I'm really angry. It caused a lot of stress and problems for me. Luckily I found a new flat soon afterwards."

Moikangoa said he would not be taking action against his landlord and had put "the situation" behind him.

"Landlords want to make money off the thousands of fans that are coming to the event. They should consider their fellow South Africans and not just think about the money."

But with fewer foreign visitors than expected to attend the games, the plan by landlords to cash in could bomb.

It was earlier projected that more than 500 000 international tourists would attend the event. Now, city authorities say only 250 000 are expected.

Cape Town Routes Unlimited chief executive Calvyn Gilfellan said yesterday that the initial projections had been exaggerated.

He said that due to the recession and with South Africa being a long-haul destination, fewer visitors than expected would attend the games.

"It is difficult to say exactly how many visitors will come," said Gilfellan. "We have to look at ticket sales versus plane tickets and bums in beds. We don't know exactly what to expect.

'A lot of fans are holding back and waiting for special offers. Our projections now are that between 300 000 and 350 000 visitors will attend."

Gilfellan said that while most of the big hotels in the CBD were fully booked for the event, smaller establishments and B&Bs were struggling.

"We hope that with the rates coming down, South Africans will also travel around the province and the country during the World Cup.

"A lot of prices were too high, but they are coming down as we move closer to the event."

Charles Bloem, short-term and holiday rental manager for Seeff Properties in Cape Town, warned landlords to be responsible. He said that although he had received several enquiries, very few rental bookings had been confirmed.

"Our advice to landlords is: if you have good tenants, don't put them out for the World Cup - that might just be a very big mistake," said Bloem.

"The foreign visitors want furnished apartments and they don't want to pay too much."

Bloem said the number of confirmed rental bookings on the Atlantic Seaboard was much lower than anticipated.

"It's not at the level we wanted it to be," he said. "The prices are too high and the demand is lower in Cape Town than it is in Joburg."

He said Cape Town apartments would be more attractive if landlords kept their prices in line with peak-season rates.

Fifa's accommodation manager, Match, released more than 70 000 room nights from its contract in January. More are expected to be released next month as the authorities struggle to sell room nights abroad.

If rooms are released after April 10, Match will be forced to pay a penalty fee to the establishments.

Cape Argus

Posted at 01:12PM Apr 07, 2010 by Editor in Residential  |  Comments[2]