If you are new to this process, these answers will help. Conveyancers and professionals — WhatsApp us directly for anything more specific.
You don't have to wait for the Deeds Office. With a Letter of Authority from your conveyancer and a certified Offer to Purchase, we can open a new owner account immediately — ensuring your home has power and water from day one, not weeks after you move in.
For South African citizens, the deposit is typically two months' deemed consumption. For foreign nationals, the City of Johannesburg requires six months' deemed consumption upfront. We calculate these figures in advance so there are no financial surprises on account opening day. The deposit is paid directly to the City — not to us.
Under the Municipal Systems Act, the Registrar of Deeds will not register a property transfer without a valid Rates Clearance Certificate. It confirms that all municipal debt on the property has been settled. Without it, your sale cannot proceed regardless of how ready both parties are.
A Rates Clearance Certificate is generally valid for 60 to 120 days from the date of issue, depending on the municipality's advance billing period. If your transfer is delayed beyond that window, you'll need new figures — which takes time and costs money. We proactively monitor the validity window for every client.
No. Every new owner or tenant must open a fresh account in their own name. Using the previous account carries significant risk — sudden disconnection, inherited arrears, and billing complications that can take months to untangle. Our Switch-Over service coordinates the seller's closure with your opening to ensure no supply gap.
Yes. Even though you pay levies to a Body Corporate, the Deeds Office requires an RCC for the specific sectional title unit — not the scheme as a whole. The Body Corporate's levy account is entirely separate from the municipal rates account registered to your individual unit.
Commercial accounts require more than an ID. You will need the CIPC Founding Statement, a company letterhead, and a Board Resolution authorising the signatory. An incomplete file is the most common reason business account applications are rejected. We compile the full package for you.
Deposits are not automatically refunded when you close an account. You must submit a formal application, after which the City runs a reconciliation that typically takes 4 to 7 months. We handle the entire application and track the refund to completion — and we never take a commission on the amount recovered.
Yes. Billing anomalies are more common than people realise. We investigate phantom water readings, incorrect tariff classifications and faulty meter records. Once we identify the cause, we open a formal dispute with the municipality and manage it — with written updates — until the correction reflects on your account. Contact us for a custom quote on billing audits.
No. By signing a Power of Attorney, you authorise Rates-Ease to act as your legal representative at any City of Johannesburg branch. We attend, queue, submit and follow up. You do not need to attend the municipality in person at any stage of the process.
Yes — this is one of the most common reasons clients engage Rates-Ease. Whether you have relocated to another province or are living abroad, you do not need to return to Gauteng to close your municipal accounts, recover your deposit, or open new accounts after a transfer. You sign a Special Power of Attorney by email — electronically, via SignWell — which authorises Rates-Ease to act at the municipality on your behalf. Everything else is handled remotely. You receive written updates throughout and a full case record on completion.
A pre-transfer audit is a review of your municipal account that happens before you list your property, before you accept an offer, and before your conveyancer applies for clearance figures. We check for estimated readings that were never corrected, misapplied tariffs, incorrect zoning classifications, and accounts linked to your property that should not be. These errors inflate the clearance figure the municipality presents — sometimes significantly. The audit gives you a complete picture of what the municipality holds against your property before any other professional in the transaction sees it. That information is yours to use: to price your property accurately, to negotiate from a position of knowledge, and to prevent a billing problem from becoming a transfer delay. It is particularly valuable for private sellers who do not have an estate agent or conveyancer guiding them yet, as well as for properties with long billing histories or multiple previous owners. Priced from R1,500 depending on complexity.
WhatsApp us with your situation. We will tell you exactly what you need and how long it takes — no obligation.