Slumlord rents out tiny makeshift rooms in SA’s priciest business neighbourhood
● A monthly rental of R3 500 for accommodation in what is often referred to as Africa’s richest square mile? If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
A slumlord has squeezed dozens of tenants into two business premises just metres away from Sandton City in Johannesburg, putting up hardboard walls to create small residential rooms and even erecting a wendy house on the roof of one of the properties.
The makeshift work is in violation of Aldo Lombard’s lease, and, to add insult to injury, the owners of the properties say he owes them R1.7-million in rent.
After a year-long legal battle, Lombard was recently evicted from one of the properties on Sandton Drive in Parkmore — a stone’s throw from the headquarters of some of South Africa’s biggest companies, such as Discovery, Sasol, Standard Chartered Bank and Total SA. But the owner of the other property, directly opposite, is still trying to get him out.
Businesswoman Karen Ashwin said she had owned both properties but had sold one and rented the other one out to Lombard about two years ago on the understanding he would run a business from there.
“Then I left for Dubai. He only paid rent for two months. I later found out he had turned the property into a residential space, making compartments for people to live in and rent,” said an irate Ashwin, adding she is owed almost R1-million in rent by Lombard.
She said her property had been badly damaged and vandalised by Lombard’s tenants. “I still have to spend a lot of money fixing it so that whoever I sell it to can find it in a good condition,” said Ashwin.
In September 2016, she said, Lombard also signed a lease with the new owner of the property she had sold.
The owner did not want to be named, but his project manager, Mike Stolk, told the Sunday Times they were owed R700 000 in rent and were getting a court order against Lombard and his tenants.
He said Lombard had turned the offices into flats, renting the one-bathroom premises out to about 15 families.
When Lombard moved in, the monthly rent was R37 500 and this was increased to R41 000 last September.
Numerous attempts by the Sunday Times to contact Lombard this week were unsuccessful. A cellphone number listed in the lease with Ashwin turned out to be that of his former employee, Chea Botha. A landline number listed in the lease as being that of the offices of Lombard’s purported company, Al Serine, was engaged. Lombard’s cellphone number provided by both Stolk and Botha went to voicemail. He did not respond to voice or text messages.
A visit to the properties this week by the Sunday Times revealed that both were in a poor state.
On Ashwin’s property, electrical connections had been tampered with and some brick walls had been broken down for makeshift entrances and exits.
On the other property, where tenants are still living, Lombard had built a wendy house on top of the building and a staircase to it.
Stolk said the owners were also fixing up the property to sell it.
“We have been calling and sending him letters and he has been ignoring us. I last saw him at the property in September last year.”
A tenant who lives on the property said there were about five families living there.
“I was desperate for accommodation, hence I came to live here. I know he has other houses and properties that he compacts and rents out in other areas. He mostly rents out these spaces to foreign nationals,” the tenant said.
Lombard also allegedly owes thousands of rands in salaries to his former employees.
Botha, who worked for Lombard’s property company, said he owed her R60 000.
“My sister and I were working for him and he still owes us. He did not pay us for three months and I have not seen him since 2016,” she said.
I know he has other properties that he compacts and rents out in other areas. He mostly rents out these spaces to foreign nationals Unnamed tenant