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Minister welcomes court ruling on estate fees for property agents

Published

The Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg dismissed an application by two residential communities bodies for a declaratory order on estate fees charged to property practitioners. Human Settlements Minister Thembi Simelane said the ruling lets the regulator continue its work.

The Residential Communities Council (NPC) and the Association of Residential Communities CC brought the application. The court ruled on 20 October 2026 that they had not established sufficient grounds for the relief they sought.

The Property Practitioners Regulatory Authority (PPRA) opposed the application. It argued that fees imposed on property practitioners may, depending on the circumstances, be an undesirable business practice under Regulation 35 of the Property Practitioners Regulations, 2022.

Simelane called the judgment historic and a significant development in the debate on estate fees. She said the outcome lets her department and the PPRA keep working towards a fair, transparent and inclusive property sector.

Simelane also said: "The judgment also reinforces the importance of examining practices in the property market against the objectives of the legislative framework".

Key facts

Who
Thembi Simelane (Human Settlements Minister); Residential Communities Council (NPC) (applicant); Association of Residential Communities CC (applicant); Property Practitioners Regulatory Authority (entity of the Department of Human Settlements that opposed the application)
What
The Gauteng Division of the High Court in Johannesburg dismissed an application by the Residential Communities Council (NPC) and the Association of Residential Communities CC on 20 October 2026 for a declaratory order on estate fees charged to property practitioners. Simelane welcomed the judgment, saying the Property Practitioners Regulatory Authority (PPRA) can continue its regulatory work.
When
20 October 2026
Where
Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa
Status
Reported

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