Bad news for Durban property owners

Thousands of Durban property owners are still waiting for the outcome of objections to the city’s new property valuations, with eThekwini Municipality saying the process could take up to 12 months.

The municipality’s Property Valuations and Management Directorate has received approximately 10 000 objections to the 2026 General Valuation Roll (GV2026), along with a large number of enquiries from property owners wanting to know the status of their objections.

So far, only around 2 000 objection outcomes have been processed.

The municipality says its valuation team is continuing to work through the remaining submissions as a priority.

Durban property owners wait for valuation objection outcomes

The large number of objections is one reason for the lengthy process, but the municipality says each objection also requires a detailed investigation.

Depending on the objection, a municipal valuer may need to examine supporting documents, compare the property with recent sales in the area, check property details or physically inspect the property.

Officials may also process objections in groups where properties are located in the same neighbourhood, sectional title development, gated complex or estate.

This means objections are not necessarily dealt with strictly in the order they were submitted.

The municipality says grouping properties allows valuers to assess comparable properties and conduct several inspections in the same area at once, helping to speed up the overall process.

What happens to your property value?

The new GV2026 property values came into effect on 1 July 2026, along with the applicable tariffs for the new financial year.

However, if an objection results in a property receiving a lower valuation, the municipality says the adjustment will be applied retrospectively from 1 July 2026.

This means property owners who successfully challenge their valuation will have the adjustment backdated to the start of the new financial year.

The new valuation can be important because a property’s municipal valuation is used in calculating property rates. A change in the valuation can therefore affect the amount a property owner is charged.

How long will the process take exactly?

EThekwini has planned for the objection process to take approximately 10 to 12 months, taking into account the number of objections received and the investigations required.

The municipality says officials first had to register and capture all the documentation received. Where submissions were incomplete, officials also had to contact property owners before the reviews could begin.

Property owners who successfully lodged their objections also do not need to submit them again.