Newsflash
Short term rentals
There has been a lot of activity in the press lately regarding the impact of short term rentals (AirBNB and similar) on the cost of rentals and availability of affordable properties in major cities with Cape Town being a particular case in point. The City of Cape Town is considering changing the rateable scale for such properties from residential to commercial and to apply rates at the same scale as hotels to such properties. There would also be a requirement at national government level to register such properties for purposes of applying the Tourism Levy to them and to manage standards. Here are some links to articles about this:
https://mybroadband.co.za/news/internet/582532-cape-town-to-crack-down-on-airbnb.html
Solar update
The systems on both blocks are working well and have greatly reduced our use of expensive city power. The battery charge thresholds at which the system would recharge from the city have been reduced and so the systems sit at 100% charge during the day for the minimum time. This means that the amount of power being discarded (surplus to building running needs and battery charging) has been reduced to the minimum.
TenOnV development update Feb 2025
Building work continues, but when we found that they were extending the footprint at the far end beyond the approved plans, we got CoCT involved and a building inspector came to look. The developer has been served a notice to stop work on the unapproved extension and submit new plans. We are working with the trustees of Uxolo (the sectional title scheme with the pink balconies) to keep Blok to the approved plans.
There’s still an application outstanding with the Planning Tribunal where the developer has applied for relaxation of the set-back requirement at various heights above ground as well as some other deviations from the previously approved plans.
Information Access and Privacy
The trustees of St Martini Gardens (SMG) are aware of the need to protect the privacy of its members, residents, visitors, employees, service providers and the general public in line with the South African constitution and the Protection of Personal Information Act 2013 (POPIA). They have appointed Glyn Fogell (Chairman) as Information Officer, and have developed a Privacy Policy, a PAIA Manual and a Security Information Manual which are available on the download page.
Welcome to St Martini Gardens
St Martini Gardens is very centrally situated, close to the city centre as well as shops and restaurants, and most of the city is easily accessible on foot.
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- The Company’s Garden with the Iziko SA Museum and Planetarium, the SA National Gallery, the Houses of Parliament and the recently revamped Company’s Garden Restaurant is just over the road.
- The Labia Cinema (the oldest independent cinema in South Africa), the historic Long Street Baths and the Gardens Shopping Centre are within easy walking distance.
- The MyCiti bus route which serves the whole city and its surrounding areas passes one block away (closest stop: Michaelis)
- The City Sightseeing “hop on / hop off” tour bus stops almost outside our main entrance.
The St Martini Gardens complex has 24 hour security, a full-time building manager and its own beautiful private garden with a large pool.
St Martini Gardens was designed by Pius Pahl, the last architect to qualify at the Bauhaus, Germany’s revolutionary and influential design academy. Pahl moved to Stellenbosch in the 1950s after marrying his South African wife. He started his own practice and received many awards locally and internationally for his work. Go to our Downloads page for more information on Pahl, Bauhaus and the design of St Martini Gardens.
Residents’ Information
For information for residents – both long and short term – about life in and around St Martini Gardens click here…
Owners’ Information
For information for current or prospective owners about your investment in St Martini Gardens click here…
Are you looking for a flat in St Martini Gardens?
St Martini Gardens is a sectional title scheme: all the units are separately owned and there is no central sales or letting agent. The Trustees and Building Manager do not know about available flats. To find flats for sale or to let try Gumtree, Property 24, Cape Breaks, AirBnB or the other established Cape Town estate agents and websites. (Don’t forget to check that any agent you deal with is compliant with the Property Practitioners Act).
We are aware of rental deposit scams and recommend that prospective tenants work through a reputable agent (check that the advertiser really belongs to the agent) and do not pay a deposit until they have seen the flat. They may contact the Managing Agent or Building Manager (see Contacts page) to check the bona fides of a prospective landlord.
GPS Coordinates: S33 55 39.0 E18 24 56.0
