Important deadlines for property owners in Joburg
The City of Joburg has extended the deadline for property owners in the city to view, inspect and object to their new property valuations.
The city’s General Valuation Roll (GVR) for 2023 will open for inspection from 15 February 2023 and will remain reviewable up until 31 March, giving 45 days instead of the mandated 21 days for objections.
For the first time the new GVR will be accessible through an online system, the city said. Previously, homeowners and business owners had to take time off to visit the city’s offices to physically inspect the GVR and submit their objections.
Using the new online system allows property owners to register their profiles, inspect the valuation roll, check their property details, upload documents and/or object against any entries that appear in the roll.
Kgamanyane Maphologela, the spokesperson for the City’s Group Finance Department, said the new GVR2023 Online System is part of the city’s Smart City initiative and was designed to give owners the convenience of being able to access the details about their properties anywhere and anytime.
“The GVR2023 Online system is yet another addition to our customer-focused services. It will save property owners and business time and money, as they will be able to access the Valuation Roll from the comfort of their homes. They can access the system anywhere and anytime.”
Tthe system is currently being optimised for mobile experience, Maphologela said.
The city said that any person may inspect the Valuation Roll within the inspection period and lodge an objection against any of the entries that appear in the Valuation Roll.
Owners who still prefer to manually inspect the Valuation Roll can still do so with the assistance of the regional property valuers. The city will have valuers stationed at dedicated Customer Service Centres to assist walk-in customers who want to inspect the valuation roll or object against any entry in the roll.
The city advised property owners who prefer to physically go to the walk-in centres to view the roll to check the load shedding schedules in their areas as this will impact on the operating centres.
Rates and taxes warning
The city previously noted that the property base in the City of Johannesburg in 2023 has increased to over R1.5 trillion from over R1.4 trillion since 2018 when the last valuation was conducted.
The increase represents a 12% increase in the property base.
The large increase in valuation implies that residents and property owners are looking at a hike in their rates and tax obligations.
Real estate companies have raised issues with the city’s stated increases, saying that rise of 12% in value is not supported by market conditions.
Property experts have noted that prices in Johannesburg have been largely stagnant and that demand has been weak.
Some have speculated that the city may be inflating property values in a bid to raise rates and taxes to cover budgetary shortfalls.
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