Property News - September 2025
Welcome to our Property Investment Newsletter, the aim of which is to keep you up to date and informed as to the most recent property trends and news.
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Articles
Body Corporate - Should Trustees Have the Authority to Raise Special Levies Without Member Approval?
In community schemes governed under the Sectional Titles Schemes Management Act (STSMA), the concept of a “special levy” is as familiar as it is controversial. Unlike administrative and reserve levies—which are planned, budgeted, and approved annually by members at general meetings—special levies operate differently, and arguably, more autocratically.
South Africa - Getting a grip on the informal sector
Follow the street vendor ... An informal pavement seller sells tomatoes and sweets on the pavement. She sells it for R2 000 and that is her earnings for the day. She is not registered in any way whatsoever. Many now assume that her R2 000 earnings are not captured in the national statistics. Not so quick.
A Bond Clause Deadline Whooshes by and a Sale Dies – Can You Revive it?
Contracts often contain suspensive conditions, a common example being the bond clause in a property sale agreement. The standard bond clause provides that the buyer must obtain a bond by a set deadline, and everyone’s rights and obligations under the agreement are suspended until the bond is granted. If the bond isn’t granted by the deadline, there is no sale.
What’s the Normal Retirement Age? - It’s Complicated, as The Plumber’s Tale Proves
Fake news articles suggesting that South Africa was implementing a new standard retirement age policy, supposedly from 30 May this year, recently went viral on social media. Convincingly structured to look realistic (AI’s dark hand there?), the articles suggested that 65 is the new universal standard retirement age for all employees across all sectors. Complete hogwash. What the law actually says ...
UK Property - The London property market is more split than it has been since Brexit
Average prices fell 3% in prime central London (PCL) in the year to July due to doubts around the government’s treatment of wealthy foreign investors. Meanwhile, there was an increase of 0.6% in prime outer London (POL), in a market largely driven by domestic buyers moving due to changes in their personal circumstances.
