Saturday, May 16, 2009

Wireless Internet to be introduced at all residences

Let and Stay is rolling out a very exciting program to have all its managed residences connected to the Internet.

We will be introducing wireless technology to offer all our tenants access to the Internet at broadband speeds.

The costs would be very affordable and will be cheaper than for instance a 3G connection from one of the cellular phone operators. Tenants would be able to buy their bandwidth online (credit card or SMS) or with prepaid vouchers available from our office.

With your WI-FI enabled desktop or laptop you would now be able to be part of the online community and hopefully contribute to your studies (and music collection) more productively. In addition to your data connectivity you would also be able to use ADSL phone technology such as Skype to keep in touch with your family and friends.

Non Let and Stay landlords wanting to offer this service to their tenants are welcome to contact Let and Stay to discuss the option of installing this system at their properties and offering their tenants this value added service.

State of the art IT system to be introduced

Let and Stay has embarked on an ambitious revamp of their IT system offering a myriad of (free) benefits to landlords and tenants alike. They have partnered with an international group to offer the following benefits with this new system:

Landlords will be able to log online and in real time view 24/7;
  • Tenants in their properties.

  • Disbursement history.

  • Property inspection reports with photos.

  • Investment reports such as vacancy rates and extra charges vs income.

  • Online statements

  • Updating of details and correspondence with Let and Stay.

  • and much more...

Tenants would be able to log online and view their payment history, extra charges levied, outstanding amounts due, updating of personal details, property inspection reports with comments and several other features.

The system is truly state of the art and will give Let and Stay the opportunity to offer its clients a 21st century, online solution, as a value added benefit.


Saturday, May 2, 2009

Baie kampusse, min plek - UJ bars uit sy nate Beeld 3 March 2009

Chantal Gouws

Baie studente het al 13:00 die Studentesentrum (SS) aangedurf en was dadelik spyt oor hul besluit. Middagete is geen tyd om die SS te betree nie – tensy dit vir jou pret klink om in ’n ry te staan.

Dit is maar een van die bewyse dat die Auckland Park -kampus (APK) oorbevolk is. Die SS is vol, parkering is skaars en badkamers is vol.

Maar dit is die oorvol klasse wat die meeste studente moedeloos maak.

Engelse B.Comm. (rekeningkunde)-studente op die APK voel veral die effek van die bevolkingsdruk.

Adele de Vos, ’n eerstejaar-rekeningkundestudent, het ’n sterk mening daaroor. “Ek haat dit! Ons moet altyd ’n uur voor die tyd in die klas wees of ons kry nie plek nie!”
Michelle Gouws, ’n derdejaarregsstudent, sê hul Engelse klasse is sedert 2007 oorbevolk. “Mense sit al vir drie jaar op die trappe.”

Op die Doornfontein-kampus (DFC) en Buntingstraat-kampus (APB) voel studente ook dié druk.
Richardt Lemmer, ’n derdejaar-chiropraktisynstudent op DFC, sê al loop hul klasse nie oor nie, is daar nooit parkering beskikbaar nie.

Anke van Zyl, wat besig is met haar honneursgraad in bedryfsielkunde, is ’n tutor op APB. Buiten die feit dat die klasse warm is, kry sy die studente jammer. “Dis ongemaklik. Hulle kan nie op die bord sien van die trappe af nie.”

Volgens mnr. Herman Esterhuizen, mediabeampte van die Universiteit van Johannesburg (UJ), het daar teen 18 Februarie 2009 ’n totaal van 46 273 studente by die universiteit geregistreer. Daar is vanjaar 3 659 meer eerstejaars as in 2008.

Die UJ moet voldoen aan riglyne wat gestel word deur die nasionale departement van onderwys se enrolment plan vir elke universiteit wat studentegetalle en subsidies bepaal. Maar as kapasiteit ’n probleem is, wat het van ons ander kampus, die Oos-Rand-kampus (ERC), geword?
Dié kampus is kort na die ontstaan van UJ “tydelik” gesluit om dit te omskep in ’n kampus wat sou spesialiseer in ingenieurswese en bou-wetenskappe.

’n Oud-ERC student, wat anoniem wil bly, voel sy hele lewe is ontwrig deur die sluiting.
“Daar is aan ons beloftes gemaak omtrent vervoer en die heropening van die kampus, maar dit het nooit gebeur nie.” Hy durf maar daagliks die verkeer aan Auckland Park toe. Volgens hom word daar gereeld vergaderings beplan tussen oudstudente van die ERC en universiteitsowerhede, maar dit word glo telkens gekanselleer.

Esterhuizen sê UJ gaan op versoek van die nasionale departement van onderwys ’n omvangryke voorlegging aan dié departement oor die toekoms van die ERC maak.
Die voorstel behels dat die fakulteit ingenieurswese en bou-omgewing op dié kampus programme in vervaardigings-ingenieurswese sal aanbied, in samewerking met ’n plaaslike FET-kollege.
“Om dié programme te kan aanbied, moet daar duur infrastruktuur geskep word. UJ kan nie die koste daarvan alleen dra nie,” sê Esterhuizen.

UJ het die departement van onderwys gevra om staatsfondse beskikbaar te stel vir die ontwikkeling van die ERC. Die departement sal blykbaar teen einde vandeesmaand formeel op dié versoek reageer.

Tot 30 studente bly in 1 huis in die buurte - Beeld 1 April 2009

Daniëlla du Plooy en Liezl Temmingh

Tientalle studente op klein erwe, gemors en voortdurende geraas en musiek.

Dít is van die probleme wat huis eienaars en inwoners van onder meer Auckland Park, Brixton, Melville en Westdene in Johannesburg ervaar met mense wat erwe onderverdeel en uitverhuur – dikwels onwettig – aan meestal desperate studente van die Universiteit van Johannesburg (UJ).

Volgens me. Cindy Grobbelaar, DA-raadslid vir Vrededorp (wyk 69), weet sy van ongeveer 80 huise wat onwettig in kamerwonings omgeskep is.

In een so ’n huis woon daar volgens haar byvoorbeeld sowat 30 studente. “Hulle wil naby die universiteit bly, want hulle het nie motors nie. Dan woon hulle in haglike omstandighede.

“Van die kamers, waarvoor hul tot R1 700 kan betaal, het net plek vir ’n enkelbed en geen vensters nie. Dít terwyl die eienaars derduisende rande per maand maak.”

’n Eiendomsagent, wat nie haar naam genoem wil hê nie, sê sy doen waardasies vir van dié huise.
“Ek het by een plek ’n student gevind wat in ’n spens woon. Hy betaal R500 per maand, maar kan nie eens regop staan in die vertrek nie.”

In van die huise is glo ook onwettige kragkabels. Volgens haar skep die slumlords, soos sy hulle noem, ook probleme vir ander inwoners. “Die eienaars koop klomp huise in een straat en prop dit vol mense. Dit het ’n vreeslike geraas tot gevolg en lei tot reuse-hoofbrekens vir ander inwoners. “Húl huise se waarde daal, want niemand anders wil daar kom bly of koop nie.”

Grobbelaar sê die huiseienaars kry dít reg omdat die wet nie behoorlik toegepas word nie. Volgens haar is die stad se beleid vir kommuneverblyf nog nie voltooi nie. “Van die eienaars ignoreer bloot die reëls wat daar wel is. Wanneer ons begin met regsaksie, kan dit tot drie jaar neem voordat daar ’n beslissing is. Teen daardie tyd is hulle al skatryk.”

Sy sê die aanvraag na UJ-verblyf is bloot te groot.“Daar is net te veel studente en geen behoorlike beplanning nie. ’n Gebied moet geïdentifiseer word en in hoë digtheidsverblyf omgeskep word.”

Brooklyn se kommunes nog onder beheer

Brooklyn se kommunes nog onder beheer:
Apr 02 2009 06:34:48:733PM - (SA)

Hans Wegelin van die Burgervereniging van Brooklyn en Oostelike Gebiede skryf:

Gister se berig oor onwettige studenteverblyf in woonbuurte naby die Universiteit van Johannesburg (UJ), die inkomste wat die slumlords daaruit kry en die gevolglike stedelike verval, verwys.

Inwoners van Brooklyn, langs die Universiteit van Pretoria, sien daagliks hoe ons eie slumlords mooi groot huise aan die genade van studente oorlaat. Ons het niks teen studente nie, maar ons weet almal dat jy in daardie stadium van jou lewe nie besorg is oor die dinge wat ’n residensiële gebied sy waarde laat behou nie, soos geboue en tuine wat versorg word en stilte in die nag.

Ons het dit teen eienaars wat nie op die perseel woon nie en nie ’n flenter omgee vir wat dit aan die omgewing doen nie.

Gelukkig het Tshwane ’n kommunebeleid, wetstoepassing bestaan nog en die lede van ons burgervereniging probeer hul bes.

En dan is daar ook kommunes waar die eienaar steeds op die perseel woon, waar die huis en tuin versorg is en stilte snags gehandhaaf word.

As ons dit nie bly doen nie, is ons voorland die gemors wat om die UJ heers."

Students fuel rental demand

Denise Mhlanga
07 January 2009

Residential letting agents get set for bumper season, as demand for student accommodation in some areas outweighs available supply.

Estate agents in areas located close to universities and other higher learning institutions say 2009 should be a good year, with high demand for student accommodation already being experienced.

A week into 2009, already some 400 university students in Johannesburg have secured accommodation outside of campuses and the number is set to increase come February when universities open.

That's according to Richard Rubin, chief executive officer of Aengus Property Holdings. He says there is huge demand for accommodation in Braamfontein and surrounding areas and limited supply.

Students renting out properties during the year include local and international students, the latter largely from the African continent.

"Since we opened for the year, already we have taken 400 students for the available properties," he said. He said January and February are always the busiest months in the year and students sign leases of 10 months.

Basically, the student market is the best place to be as there is guaranteed rental income for 10 months and when students like the places they rent, they usually renew for the following year, according to Rubin..

Asked about rentals, he said they range from R2 000 and R2 500 a month with two students sharing in most cases. "This is a good part of the market and investor returns are far better than the residential property market," said Rubin.

Daphne Timm, principal of Pam Golding Properties in Grahamstown, said Rhodes University and schools in the area have generally always kept the residential market going.

Despite new developments in the area, there is never enough student accommodation available.
"The student property market is definitely buoyant - just not enough stock to meet demand," said Timm. Rentals range from R1 500 and R2 200 for a room.

In some parts of Cape Town, parents sign annual leases for their children. Some are prepared to pay as much as R8 000 per month on rentals for upmarket apartments. Kevin Crassord, estate agent at Just Letting Atlantic Seaboard, said student rentals make up about 5% of the total lettings, though offerings on this side of Cape Town and they tend to be very expensive compared to student accommodation elsewhere. Average rentals are between R7 000 and R8 000 a month and the cheapest accommodation is R5 000 per month for a one-bedroom apartment.

Fred Johnson, estate agent at Tyson Properties Westville, Durban, said as universities keep expanding demand for accommodation will be continue to pick up. He said, in Westville, there are small rooms priced at R1 800 a month, while upmarket student accommodation costs from R4 500 per month. The granny flats in most areas are used as student accommodation and as long as they are priced right and suit students' lifestyles, they would be rented out.

"The student market is doing well, and prices are steady with a good supply of accommodation," said Johnson.

Bursaries - What to Know, Where to Go - Eduloan

So, you've got your matriculation certificate in hand, your hopes set high and you're standing on the threshold of ‘what next?'. Now is the time to decide what you are going to study, where you are going to study and how you are going to do it.

There's no doubt that tertiary education is a costly business - you can expect to pay between R15, 000 and R25,000 per year for most undergraduate degrees and even more for specialised or professional degrees such as law and medicine.

Your first port of call should be to suss out the available bursaries. Bursaries are available to students with a good academic record or in need of financial assistance, or both. They can be sourced through major companies, tertiary institutions, or academic foundations. Many mining and engineering companies, for example, offer ‘contract' bursaries to dedicated students, and each company has it's own terms and conditions. These bursaries are provided on the condition that you ‘pay back' the bursary by working at the company after your studies are complete. This is a good option, as you land a job and work experience immediately upon graduating.

The first thing to do is to check out the Bursary Register, which is usually available at high schools and through the financial aid offices of universities, and will provide you with a full list of bursaries available in your chosen field of study.

Even easier than that - log on to the ‘Get-a-Life' website on www.gal.co.za, which is South Africa's largest single open database of bursaries to SA students - for both local and international study. Their listings are comprehensive and you can click straight through to specific websites and application forms.

Another very helpful site for bursary listings is www.mycareer.co.za, which also list bursaries by field of study to minimise your search time.

And lastly, try www.firststep.co.za, for good advice and some comprehensive listings.
So, you've sent out your bursary applications and - lo and behold - you have a bite! After you have whooped for joy, jumped up and down and celebrated wildly, it's time to come back down to earth and face the finance facts. You have to learn fast to manage your hard won money and make it go as far as it possibly can. With our current crazy economy the humble rand is not stretching as far as it used to and the last thing you want is your money squandered by bad management.

When you get your bursary, some do include money for textbooks, accommodation, food etc. To manage these funds effectively you can use a financial tool such as Edu-Loan's Edu-Extras card. This card is a bursary management tool specifically for students and designed like a debit card. The card has within it five ‘pockets' - for tuition, accommodation, textbooks, food and cash, and can be used at a specified range of suppliers/outlets like 7-11 and affiliated book stores which are specifically set up to accept them.

This makes managing your funds so much easier, as instead of spending your textbook money on food and pitching up for class with a full lunch-box but no books, you can use your funds for their exact purpose! For further information on the Edu-Extras card or obtaining any kind of study loan through Edu-Loan, visit www.eduloan.co.za or call their Client Services call-centre on: 0860-55-55-44.